Jones County considers new zoning district, ordinances for data centers. What we know.

Jones County commissioners are considering a new set of zoning ordinances setting guidelines for where and how data centers can be constructed.

The county previously passed a similar set of ordinances in September, but rescinded them earlier this month after a group of concerned citizens raised concerns that the new guidelines weren’t properly passed into law.

Now, officials hope to re-authorize those ordinances, as well as add new ones based on feedback from the community.

“Bringing this all out has made us realize we do need to tighten some things up,” said District 1 Commissioner Sam Kitchens during Monday’s meeting.

Jones County is considering a new zoning designation for data centers

One of the main suggestions the county is considering is the creation of a new zoning district for heavy industry. The zoning district, which would be labeled M-3, would be applied to the existing Griswoldville Industrial Park, according to the current proposal.

Jones County currently has two types of wholesale and industrial districts. M-1 allows for light industrial uses where pollution and noise are minimal, such as storage warehouses, distribution centers and food processing plants that don’t involve the slaughtering of animals.

M-2 allows for heavier industry that is “obnoxious by reason of emission of odors, dust, smoke, gas, noise, heat or vibration,” according to the Jones County Code of Ordinances.

Kitchens said that the M-3 district would include restrictions around light and noise pollution, water usage and other concerns the community has around data centers. Sawmills, railroads, utility stations and heavy manufacturing would also be permitted in those zones and be subject to the same restrictions.

“In my opinion, M-2 is too lenient for something that is a million square feet and pulling the resources that [a data center] pulls,” Kitchens said.

However, not everyone was satisfied with the idea. District 4 Commissioner Daylon Martin, whose district includes the industrial park, said he feels a data center would take up huge amounts of space in the industrial park while creating very little jobs.

“The highest and best use of the industrial park is for industry that we would seek to attract to the county for the betterment of our children, our community, and so on,” Martin said. “A data center doesn’t do that.”

Experts and media reports say data centers are more valued for the digital infrastructure they provide than the jobs they create, and most only need a couple hundred people to run.

Community members say data centers should be conditional use. Commissioners unsure

While an M-3 zoning district would be intended for data centers, commissioners still haven’t decided whether or not data centers would be a permitted or conditional use.

According to the Jones County Code of Ordinances, a permitted use means a project can come into an appropriate zoning district and be built without additional permission from the county, while a conditional use allows a project to be built in a zoning district once it’s been approved by the county.

Community members who attended Monday’s meeting asked commissioners to consider making data centers a conditional use in M-3 zoning districts, arguing it would allow for more transparency.

However, commissioners haven’t made a call yet.

Kitchens said he was hesitant to make data centers a conditional use because it would create more hassle for the county and potentially deter investment.

“I think that’s handcuffing us when it comes to economic development,” Kitchens said.

Erik Varnadoe, chair of the Jones County Development Authority, said during Monday’s meeting that any business coming into the industrial park is subject to a vote by the development authority.

Varnadoe said this ensures the development that comes in is healthy and productive for the community, and agreed that adding more restrictions through conditional use may cause issues when it comes to recruiting industry to the area.

“We don’t want our restrictions to become a problem,” Varnadoe said.

What happens next?

The commission did not vote on any ordinances Monday.

Officials plan to hold another work session to further hash out their ideas for an M-3 zoning district and accompanying ordinances. That meeting will be open to the public but has not been scheduled yet.