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Work group outlines setbacks, building‑height and screening rules to limit data‑center impacts
Summary
Draft ordinance sets default setbacks (100 ft front, 50 ft sides/rear) with larger buffers where protected uses exist, a height‑to‑setback ratio above 35 ft, and specific landscaping and berm standards to reduce visual and acoustic impacts.
Franklin County planners presented a package of setback, height and screening measures on Feb. 2 designed to reduce the visual and acoustic impacts of large data‑center campuses while preserving site design flexibility.
Presenter explained the draft uses a protected‑use approach rather than strict zoning labels: where a structure is adjacent to a protected use (residence, school, hospital, place of worship or public park within 500 ft), larger setbacks apply. Examples discussed included a baseline 100‑foot front setback and 50‑foot side and rear setbacks for non‑protected contexts, while certain noise‑generating equipment would be held 300–500 feet from protected uses.
To address visual scale and sound propagation, staff proposed a height‑to‑setback formula: for every foot of building height above 35 feet, the required setback from all property lines increases by two feet. The draft retains a common 60‑foot building height limit with a 10‑foot parapet allocation for rooftop equipment and vertical discharge; variances would still be possible.
Screening and mitigation: the draft requires engineered landscape berms (burms) with minimum depth and a mix of evergreen and deciduous plantings to achieve 80% opacity within three years; perimeter fencing should be placed behind the visual buffer. Where a burm is insufficient to meet noise limits a soundwall may be allowed in lieu or on top of the burm, but members cautioned against overly prescriptive material requirements that could hinder design options.
Public concerns included the need to ensure emergency vehicle access, room for BMS and screening, and the special status of electrical substations. Presenter said definitions would be refined to clarify 'primary structure' and whether multiple campus buildings should be treated collectively for setbacks.
What’s next: staff will refine definitions (primary structure vs. structure), confirm setback distances in the draft, and include the screening/burm standards in the APC materials.
