Jones County has new zoning rules for data centers as ‘proactive’ measure
Jones County will allow data centers, but with new rules that limit them to certain commercial properties, according to county documents.
The Jones County Board of Commissioners approved new zoning ordinances on Sept. 16 to allow these facilities.
According to county documents, data centers will be allowed to be built in C-1 zonings with conditions.
The conditions dictate that principal buildings shouldn’t be higher than 75 feet, data centers should have at least 100 feet of buffer space on all sides, all HVAC systems should be hidden from adjacent properties and public roads, lighting should not spill onto adjacent properties, and sound levels should remain at or under 45 decibels during daylight hours and at or under 35 decibels at night, according to county documents.
The ordinances also require data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems, which use less water than other cooling systems, mandate that data center developers must submit an environmental impact study and plans to mitigate issues with their application and bans cryptocurrency processing facilities.
Jason Rizner, the county administrator, said Tuesday that while data centers would be allowed in C-1 areas, they can’t just purchase a C-1 property and begin construction. Data centers must submit an application and be approved by Jones County Planning & Zoning and the commissioners.
“There’s been a lot of movement in terms of data centers popping up,” Rizner said. “Our board was looking to be proactive and put into place some guardrails so that if we do have one of these developments that’s interested in coming to Jones County, they have some clearly laid out guidelines.”
Counties around Middle Georgia have seen increased interest from developers looking to build data centers, with many meeting opposition from locals.
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners rezoned 948 acres of land in November 2024 for a data center off Rumble Road, but attempts to rezone a parcel of about 900 acres of land in Bolingbroke for a similar development failed in August after outcry from county residents. The property owners who proposed rezoning the Bolingbroke property are now suing the county.
Meanwhile, the Twiggs County commissioners approved rezoning about 300 acres of land on Sept. 18 for a data center despite widespread opposition from county residents and the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma.
Rizner said the county doesn’t currently have any applications for data centers. The new ordinances met little resistance as they were passed into law, but some residents contacted the commissioners to express their opposition to data centers coming into the county.
Rizner said the new rules will help protect residents in the event that a data center wants to come into the area.
“More than anything, this was to get out in front of this and put those guidelines in place to minimize impacts on neighboring residents,” Rizner said.