Newton County commissioners object to three annexation requests for proposed data centers

The Newton County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 21 approved resolutions to object to three separate annexation requests from the cities of Covington and Social Circle that would rezone county parcels to light-industrial uses for large facilities, including proposed data centers.

The board voted to file objections to (1) an annexation notice for about 1,500 acres submitted by Alcovey Rise LLC to the City of Covington, (2) an annexation request for roughly 90 acres from Strategic Development Partners LLC for warehouse space off Highway 278, and (3) an annexation request to the City of Social Circle by Georgia Shroud Creek Land LLC for property on Shrout's Creek Road that the county staff said is intended for a data center. Each resolution was approved by 4 votes with 1 abstention (see “Votes” below); County Attorney staff will transmit the objections to the respective cities and to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to initiate arbitration procedures.

Why it matters: County staff and commissioners said the proposed uses differ substantially from the current county zoning and future land-use designations, and they would likely increase net infrastructure costs for roads, fire protection and water systems. Multiple residents and commissioners raised concerns about the capacity of Newton County's water system and the local impacts of large computing facilities.

Public concerns and testimony

Several residents who live near the proposed…