Cheatham County adopts data-center zoning rules after public comment; rural-resort amendments face public opposition

The Cheatham County Commission voted to add a definition of “data center” to the county zoning resolution and to classify data centers as an "extensive impact facility," a move commissioners said is intended to ensure such uses are sited in industrial districts rather than near homes.

Bill Herbert, an attorney who said he represents land-use and zoning clients and who identified himself during public comment, told the commission the resolution before the board is intended to place data centers in I-2 (heavy industrial) or I-3 (special industrial) districts. "Data centers are an industrial use that should only be allowed on industrially zoned property and not in our backyards," Herbert said, noting they require "massive amounts of power and associated infrastructure." He asked commissioners to approve the item, saying the county planning commission had unanimously supported the change.

The adopted amendment adds a definition in section 2.01 describing a data center as a facility that houses computer systems and associated infrastructure, "typically including backup power, cooling systems, battery storage, substations, and security systems," and adds "data center" to the list of extensive impact facilities in section 3.0604. Commissioners moved and approved the measures by roll-call votes; the chair announced the results as 9 yes, 0 no, 3 absent.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the change is a forward-looking planning measure intended to prevent ad-hoc siting of large power- and infrastructure-intensive facilities in residential or agricultural areas. The new classification means that applications for data centers will be restricted to industrial zoning categories and will be treated the same as other high-impact utilities or major facilities.

Public concerns and related zoning debate: Several residents also used the public-comment period to push back on separate proposed countywide zoning language to create a "rural resort" district. Linda Rider said the county planning commission's discussions of a rural-resort zoning district appeared written to provide a "backdoor approach" for a developer identified in her remarks as C.B. Ragland to build a luxury resort outside an approved growth area. "This would hurt rural residents by encouraging spot zoning and encouraging commercial development nearby," Rider told commissioners, urging them to reject any rural-resort amendments outside planned growth areas.

What the measure does and does not do: The data-center amendments change the zoning code text; they do not approve any particular data-center project. Officials said the change establishes the county's preferred locations and regulatory framework so individual proposals will be evaluated against the new rules.

Next steps: The new zoning language is now part of the Cheatham County zoning resolution; future permit applications for data centers will be reviewed under the updated classification. The commission did not take any immediate procedural action on the rural-resort zoning at this meeting beyond hearing public comment.