Jones County work session advances tiered zoning approach for data centers; Planning Commission review set for Nov. 17

Jones County commissioners and local stakeholders on Tuesday reviewed a draft zoning text amendment that would classify data centers into tiers based on size and resource demands and place the largest projects in the county—s industrial park.

"For those that don't know me, I'm Jason Risner. I'm the county administrator," Jason Risner said at the start of the session, describing the meeting as an "open discussion" intended to inform a multi-step rulemaking process.

The proposal, presented by Commissioner Kitchens, divides data centers into tiered levels. "There are basically 4 types of data centers," Commissioner Kitchens said, describing Level 1 as smaller facilities (under about 20,000 square feet) that could be permitted in a C-2 commercial district with a conditional-use permit; Level 2 as larger industrial facilities (roughly 20,000 to 100,000 square feet) subject to more conditions; and Level 3 as "mega" campuses that the county should confine to its designated industrial park and let the Development Authority apply additional standards.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents said the tiered approach is intended to let the county welcome smaller server farms and commercial facilities while protecting water, streams, noise-sensitive neighborhoods and the county—s groundwater from…