Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Center Ordinance And Public Concerns topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press for a data-center ordinance, raise sinkhole and shelter concerns at Lowndes County meeting
Summary
Public commenters urged the county to draft a dedicated data-center ordinance with buffers and environmental protections, asked when public hearings will be held, and raised separate concerns about sinkhole identification and funding to rehabilitate the Craig Center for emergency shelter.
Several residents used the meeting's public-comment period to press the commission for action on data-center planning and to raise other community concerns.
Michael Knoll told commissioners the county should adopt a specific data-center ordinance that sets minimum distances from residences, schools and hospitals; requires vegetation buffers and limits on nighttime lighting; imposes decibel limits and generator-testing windows; minimizes water use and restricts siting above karst or sinkhole-prone terrain. "For all of us it is in our best interest that we have a strong data center ordinance in place," Knoll said, listing technical standards he would like included.
Tetiana Babcock asked the board for an explicit timeline and public-engagement plan for drafting a data-center ordinance following the July 2025 rezoning of the 719-acre Langdale property on Coleman Road to M1 light manufacturing. "Where does the county currently stand in developing a specific data center ordinance?" she asked, and urged commissioners to commit to transparent public hearings.
George Fisher, a resident and amateur researcher, urged the county to prioritize sinkhole identification and said he has been studying satellite imagery to track sinkhole development; he also requested permission to review a GeoHazards report on the Snake Nation Road sinkhole prepared by Jim Olson. Fisher told the board about the risks sinkholes pose to life and property and asked to be allowed to view the county-funded report for research purposes.
Kelly Saxon, a community volunteer working on emergency response, requested an update on a prior $50,000 request to rehabilitate the Craig Center so it can serve as an inclement-weather shelter and resilience hub for seniors and other residents. Saxon said the county needs a dedicated, reliable shelter and asked commissioners to consider financial assistance to complete repairs.
Prashant Patel, manager at Holiday Spirits, offered a brief comment indicating he was satisfied with the clarification provided earlier in the meeting about the alcoholic-beverage ordinance's treatment of existing businesses.
Commissioners did not adopt a data-center ordinance during the meeting; the manager's report noted Georgia Power expects to perform a power study in September on the Coleman Road property and that the county is monitoring NextGen 911 developments. No immediate directive to draft the ordinance was recorded during this session.
