Columbia County approves rezoning for White Oak Technology Park after residents raise noise, water and light concerns

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners on May 20 approved a rezoning request to allow the proposed White Oak Technology Park, rezoning two parcels (Tax Map 18 Parcel 6 and Tax Map 19 Parcel 3) from RA and a split RA/M1 to S1 to accommodate data-center development.

The rezoning matters because a data center can change local land use impacts — residents at the hearing cited generator noise, large water use, lighting that could create skyglow and potential traffic increases. County and Development Authority officials said the project’s final technical specifications will be set when an end user is identified and that future approvals would return to the board as needed.

At public comment, Manny Dallas, a resident on Morris Callaway Road, said he could hear nearby road conversations from his front porch and worried the data center’s generators and lighting would be audible and visible at distances of several hundred to more than 1,000 feet. “How can you vote on something where it does not address noise levels, water … and light…