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Columbia County approves rezoning for White Oak Technology Park after resident concerns over noise, water and lighting
Summary
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved rezoning of two parcels to S‑1 for the White Oak Technology Park, a proposed data‑center campus. Residents raised concerns about noise from generators, water usage, light pollution and traffic; county and development authority officials said end‑user details will return for further review.
Columbia County commissioners on May 20 approved a rezoning that allows the White Oak Technology Park, a proposed data‑center campus, to proceed to the next planning stage after a public hearing and debate.
The rezoning application asked to change parcels from RA and a split RA/M‑1 to S‑1 (service/technology zoning). Commissioner Allen moved to approve the request, the motion was seconded and carried by voice/hand vote.
The decision matters because data centers can bring sizable capital investment and tax revenue while raising local concerns about water use, nighttime lighting and intermittent noise from backup generators. County and development authority officials said the site will return to the county for specific permits and conditions once an end user is known.
Resident Manny Dallas urged commissioners not to approve the rezoning without answers on noise, water and lighting. “How can you vote on something that you have no answers for?” he asked, citing worry about decibel levels, standby generators and a possible “Walmart parking lot” effect from extensive exterior lighting.
Chaney Eldridge, executive director of the Columbia County Development Authority, defended the choice of a data center as an economic development target. “Employment is low, wage is high, and so is investment,” she said, describing data centers as a high‑investment project the authority sought after months of outreach. Eldridge and other presenters emphasized that an end user has not been named and that site‑specific approvals and agreements will come back to the commission.
Drew Frederick of Trammell Crow Company, representing the developer, said a water solution has been discussed with the water utility and that design and mitigation measures — including limited public access, emergency‑only entrances and sound‑mitigation studies as required — would be part of later permitting. “There is a water solution that’ll be at the expense,” he said, noting that many cooling systems avoid the most water‑intensive approaches.
County staff and the development authority told residents that typical data‑center generator testing is infrequent and short in duration, and that lighting plans are normally required to show very low foot‑candle levels at property lines and use downward‑facing fixtures.
The commissioners’ approval rezones the parcels to S‑1; any change in access, generator use, water‑cooling systems, or other site specifics will require subsequent permits, studies and likely additional public hearings before the county, the board said.
