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Camden County adopts six‑month moratorium on data centers in unincorporated county
Summary
After weeks of public concern about water use, noise and local impacts, the Camden County Board of Commissioners voted to impose a six‑month moratorium on data‑center permitting in the unincorporated county while staff and the board refine an ordinance.
The Camden County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a six‑month moratorium on data centers in the unincorporated portions of the county, excluding certain detailed provisions from the draft moratorium. The motion passed by voice vote after extended public comment and commissioner discussion.
The action came after several hours of public testimony during which residents and environmental advocates raised questions about water consumption, stormwater impacts, noise and long‑term community tradeoffs. Kat Montgomery, an advocate with conservation group 100 Miles, told the board that coastal communities should “press pause on data centers by enacting official moratoriums” and urged the county to use the time to write an “airtight ordinance” that addresses water, noise, dark‑skies protection and community benefits.
Emmanuel Tobe, who lives in the Gold Park Apartments in Kingsland, said the withdrawal of a pending rezoning application showed that public attention matters but cautioned that “just because the proposal has been withdrawn does not mean the concern has gone away.” He urged continued public engagement so that future proposals are vetted before decisions are final.
During discussion, commissioners differed on the length and scope of a pause. Some argued for a short window to act quickly; others urged a longer period to allow careful ordinance drafting and public hearings. One commissioner noted the county is already working on a draft ordinance and said the moratorium would give staff time to refine that document and solicit community input.
The adopted motion sets a six‑month moratorium on permitting and approvals related to data‑center development in the unincorporated county while excluding sections 4–7 of the packet draft from the temporary moratorium language. The action does not affect municipal authority inside city limits, the board clarified, and does not prohibit developers from preliminary discussions or inquiries.
Next steps announced at the meeting include additional public workshops and a county work session on draft ordinance language. The board said it may extend or rescind the moratorium earlier if an ordinance is finalized sooner.
