Planning board recommends approval of zoning rules to allow data centers and crypto-mining with conditions

Union County Planning Board members voted to recommend approval of TXT-2026-00002, a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance that would add data centers and crypto-mining operations to the county’s list of permitted uses in heavy industrial districts, with new supplemental standards aimed at limiting impacts on neighbors and infrastructure.

Planner presenting the amendment told the board the county currently has no explicit listing for data centers or crypto operations, a gap that effectively forces denial of any applications. Staff recommended permitting such uses through rezoning to a heavy industrial district or via special-use permits, and adding new use definitions and supplemental rules to the UDO.

The proposed supplemental standards include a 100-foot minimum property-line setback for facilities, a 500-foot setback where the site abuts residential zoning or existing dwellings, and a 1,000-foot separation from schools, daycares and congregate-care facilities. Staff also recommended landscaping and screening, lighting controls, preconstruction noise studies with baseline monitoring and follow-up mitigation if operational noise exceeds the baseline, and a required decommissioning plan to restore sites when a facility ceases operations.

Staff emphasized utility and water requirements: applicants would have to provide letters from local electric and water providers describing any required upgrades and certifying that service reliability for existing customers will not be adversely affected. The draft requires closed-loop or water-efficient cooling systems and discourages continuous discharge of cooling water. On backup power, staff said generators would be allowed for temporary emergency use only and restricted to testing Monday–Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

On crypto mining, the amendment would prohibit outdoor, containerized operations (for example, shipping-container installations) and require mining operations to occur in fully enclosed, permitted buildings; demand studies for electrical supply would be required and the county may impose enhanced buffering or setbacks to mitigate operational impacts.

Board members raised concerns about groundwater and sewer impacts. "If they start digging wells and start taking people's water away, that's a bad situation," one member said, urging language to prevent private-well use; staff responded they would research legal constraints and possible language to require connection to public water or limit well permits for these facilities. Another member, Lee, suggested requiring operators to haul contaminated cooling water off-site or provide pretreatment rather than allowing direct discharge into the sewer system; staff agreed to investigate feasibility and legal issues.

A motion to recommend approval of TXT-2026-00002, including an advisory consistency statement and the board’s suggested additions (research limiting groundwater well use, restricting direct discharge to sewer without pretreatment, and addressing metering/disposal charges), passed by voice vote. The motion was recorded as "all approved"; individual roll-call votes were not specified in the transcript.

The planning board’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration. Staff said they will return to report whether the suggested changes (well-use limits and wastewater-handling requirements) can be legally and practically implemented before final adoption steps.

Why this matters: data centers and crypto-mining can demand large amounts of electricity and water and generate continuous noise and thermal discharges. The board’s supplemental rules aim to create predictable standards that reduce impacts on nearby residents, schools and critical utilities while preserving the county’s ability to consider economic development proposals.

Next steps: Staff will research legal limits on restricting well use and options for wastewater pretreatment or off-site disposal. The commissioners will receive the planning board’s recommendation and the amended text for further action.