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Residents Urge Columbia County to Slow Data-Center–Driven Land-Use Changes at Planning Commission Hearing
Summary
At a Jan. 29 public hearing on the draft comprehensive plan "Foundations for the Future," Columbia County residents pressed planners for more study, transparency and possible moratoria on new data-center zoning, raising concerns about traffic, water and loss of open space ahead of a Feb. 17 county commission vote.
Columbia County planning staff presented the draft comprehensive plan "Foundations for the Future" at a public hearing on Jan. 29 and told attendees the county commission is scheduled to consider adoption Feb. 17. Scott Sterling, a planning staff member who led the presentation, said the draft has been online since Oct. 31 and that the project website had just over 3,800 unique viewers.
The hearing drew more than a dozen residents who criticized a recent expansion of areas labeled "technology and industrial" on the draft land-use map and urged the planning commission to slow or roll back changes they say prioritize large data centers over community character. "This feels like a train that has left the station with no brakes," said Lee Muns, a Harlem-area resident, warning of simultaneous large construction projects, heavy truck traffic and pressure on roads and services.
Why it matters: Residents said the map changes occurred rapidly between summer and October drafts with…
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