Statesboro approves data‑center zoning ordinance after hours of public comment, 3–1

Statesboro’s City Council voted 3–1 on June 2 to adopt an ordinance amending the unified development code to establish zoning classifications and permitting requirements for data and technology facilities, after a public hearing in which residents raised concerns about water use, environmental impacts and local control.

The ordinance, described by staff as a second‑reading that shrank an original 200‑acre “hyperscale” footprint to a 50‑acre maximum, creates rules for sound studies, environmental safeguards and requires any proposed data center to seek a special‑use permit before the council. “If council approves this ordinance, it does not provide a use by right,” staff told the council, adding that the special‑use permit gives the mayor and council “the final word” on whether a data center may locate in the city.

Supporters on council and staff framed the change as giving the city oversight while preserving economic opportunity. In the presentation staff said the FY2027 zoning update is intended to allow Statesboro to evaluate proposals rather than leave decisions to zoning defaults. “This is a requirement in order to even begin a conversation,” a staff presenter said.

Residents who spoke at the hearing sharply disagreed about the risks and benefits. Noel Burns (speaker 7) asked why the city would entertain the ordinance when no company had yet approached it. Kiki Cannon (speaker 13), who identified herself as a District 1 resident, said she objected to “the construction of these centers no matter their size,” citing academic and environmental concerns. Other speakers urged the council to hold meetings at times accessible to more residents and asked detailed questions about water and wastewater handling.

Council members said the draft ordinance seeks to address those concerns by requiring technical reviews before any permit would be granted. Staff repeatedly noted that data centers proposed for Statesboro would connect to existing city water and sewer infrastructure and that any industrial discharges must meet pretreatment standards before being accepted by the city’s wastewater plant.

Council debate focused on water and long‑term community impacts; one council member said she was not ready to vote in favor without more information about water treatment and closed‑loop cooling systems. Another council member stressed that the ordinance merely creates a process and that any proposal could still be denied.

The measure passed on a roll call of 3 in favor and 1 opposed. The ordinance was described in the hearing materials as "2026‑101" (amendment to unified development code for technological facilities). The ordinance’s adoption does not authorize any specific project; it only establishes zoning and permitting pathways that would require separate approvals if an applicant applies.

What’s next: the council’s action enables staff to accept and review proposals under the new code and requires any project to return to council for a special‑use permit vote. The city will post technical permit requirements and pretreatment thresholds that any applicant must meet before council consideration.