The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved the second reading of ordinance 25-07 to establish a DC (Data Center) zoning district, concluding a meeting marked by multiple public comments about noise, water use and long-term fiscal risk.

Supporters of stricter local controls urged the board to require third-party impact assessments and lower noise thresholds than the proposed 70 decibel standard. Unidentified Speaker 1, who opened public comment, said the county should emulate other jurisdictions’ ordinances and that “if we’re going to take the time to create this ordinance, we should do it right the first time.” The ordinance’s noise section in the draft sets a 70-decibel limit; county staff told speakers the draft would also prohibit data-center drilling of private wells to protect the aquifer.

Resident Susan Warren Apling warned about the water and power demands of large data centers and cited evidence filed in other states that utility expansion costs tied to data-center growth can fall to residential customers when capacity is speculative. She said some capacity is listed as ‘committed, not yet signed’ and noted timing concerns around a pending sale of the White Oak property and an upcoming Public Service Commission vote.

Several speakers criticized the county’s pace and transparency. One commenter urged the board to “stop, slow the process down” and to hold public meetings at times when residents can attend; another, Howard Johnson, urged caution about tying county revenue projections too tightly to big-tech tenants, calling the sector’s valuations and demand “a bubble.”

A commissioner moved to approve the ordinance’s second reading and the motion was seconded. The board took a voice vote; the motion carried. The transcript did not include a roll-call tally. The ordinance establishes allowed uses, lot and structure requirements and supplemental buffer and screening sections for the new DC district.

The ordinance’s adoption completes the second-reading step; subsequent implementation actions (permitting, site-specific rezoning or site-plan reviews) will follow where the board or planning staff determine them necessary.