Planning commission recommends three large data-center rezonings after hours of public opposition
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Summary
The Columbia County Planning Commission on Jan. 15 recommended approval of three rezoning requests to create large data-center campuses (Pumpkin Center, Byrd/Bird Farms and the Green Jacket/Watt Oak expansion) despite extended public comment raising health, noise, water and traffic concerns; staff attached conditions including sound studies and multi-year water/sewer projections.
The Columbia County Planning Commission voted Jan. 15 to recommend approval with conditions for three major rezoning requests that would allow data-center campuses on multiple parcels across the county.
Staff presented RZ26-01-01 (about 419 acres at Wrightsboro Road and Appling/Harlem Road, dubbed the Pumpkin Center or Greenpoint site), RZ26020102 (a roughly 944.27-acre Byrd/Bird Farms parcel) and RZ26-01-03 (a Green Jacket/Watt Oak expansion covering roughly 3,140 acres). The district sought for all three is the county’s new DC Data Center District, adopted in December 2025, which includes specific requirements for generators, buffers and sound testing. Staff recommended each rezoning be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners with conditions for later technical review.
Developer presentations emphasized operational details engineers say will be controlled during site-plan review. Aaron Bilyeu, identified as chief development officer for Cloverleaf Infrastructure, said the project design anticipates closed-loop cooling and that "70 decibels will be acceptable for us," adding that initial system fills require a one-time water volume and future top-ups would be minimal. He told commissioners the warehouses shown on the concept plan are intended for spare parts and supplies served from outside the secured perimeter.
Residents who packed the meeting urged denial or deferral. Speakers cited noise, low-frequency sound (DBC), air quality, water consumption, construction traffic and incompatibility with Vision 2035 land-use expectations. "When you vote tonight, remember this, you are not voting on a zoning change. You are deciding whether children's health is negotiable," said Alexandria Roni, a Greenpoint resident who spoke about the proximity of Harlem Middle School and health risks she associated with chronic air pollution and noise. Other residents questioned stormwater and wetlands protections, urged more detailed traffic modeling for multi-year construction phases, and asked why Development Authority purchases and sales were not clearly explained earlier in the public process.
Staff and applicants said many of the technical issues raised will be addressed later in the approvals pipeline. Will (staff presenter) reiterated the rezoning would not itself approve buffer reductions — "the buffers are handled at site-plan review" — and that conditions on all three rezoning recommendations include developer-funded water and sewer upgrades, annual five-year water/sewer projections while projects are in development, a possible drought-management plan and detailed traffic and stormwater studies.
Commissioners voted to recommend approval for each rezoning by voice vote after motions were made and seconded.
What’s next: These recommendations will be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final action at its Feb. 3, 2026 meeting. If approved there, applicants will still be required to submit and gain approval of detailed site plans, sound and environmental studies, permitting from state and federal agencies where applicable, and any utility agreements required by the water utility.
