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Chairwoman Angie Teams outlines Walker County data‑center moratorium and Bulldog Drive sale
Summary
Walker County Chairwoman Angie Teams said the county’s 30‑day moratorium on new data‑center projects applies only to unincorporated areas, explained the purpose of the pause, and noted the board will consider a 180‑day extension; she also described the recent conveyance and sale of a four‑acre Bulldog Drive property to the JDA and a Chattanooga company.
Chairwoman Angie Teams said Walker County’s current 30‑day moratorium on new data‑center projects applies only to unincorporated Walker County and is intended as a planning pause, not as approval or rejection of any specific project.
“The purpose of the county's moratorium is straightforward. It provides the board of commissioners time to study the various types of data centers, understand their potential impacts, gather public input, and determine what regulations should be considered before approving future projects,” Teams said.
Teams said the pause gives county leaders time to learn more about data‑center types and their local impacts and to solicit public comment before making regulatory changes. She emphasized the moratorium is a temporary planning tool, not a final decision on any proposal.
As background, Teams described a separate process involving county property the board determined no longer served a public purpose. She said the county researched the Joint Development Authority (JDA), which markets available properties to attract businesses across the four counties it serves, with the goal of creating jobs and expanding the tax base.
Teams recounted a Feb. 6 meeting with county and Rossville representatives, JDA officials and a potential buyer, and said the board of commissioners approved on May 7 conveying a four‑acre property on Bulldog Drive to the JDA "for the purpose of selling it as agreed upon in the February meeting." She said the sale officially closed July 13 to a Chattanooga‑based logistics company that needed access to EPB's quantum center, and that the company’s operations do not require water and will not affect customers who receive power from EPB.
Teams stressed the Bulldog Drive conveyance and the moratorium are separate matters. She said, "Through the guidance of our county attorney, the board will consider a 180 day extension to the moratorium to allow time to study an emerging industry and make informed decisions for the future." No vote or formal extension was reported in the remarks she delivered.
Teams invited residents to contact her office at (706) 638‑1437 with questions and said she is available to meet individually. She closed by thanking listeners "for the privilege of allowing me to serve as your chairwoman."
