Byron officials and residents debate draft data center ordinance amid water, noise and infrastructure concerns

Byron Mayor Michael Chidester and the City Council met June 24 in a public forum to review a draft Data Center Ordinance that would add Article VIII (Sections 10-651–10-664) to Chapter 10 of the Code of Byron.

The draft ordinance would allow the city to regulate where and how a data center operates — covering design standards, bonds, Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT), monitoring and compliance — while acknowledging the city cannot categorically prohibit a data center on properly zoned land. Mayor Chidester told attendees the goal is to protect city resources, minimize noise and environmental impacts and make the rules as strong as possible without exposing the city to legal risk.

Why it matters: residents and officials said the proposal could affect private wells, local roads and municipal services, and that major infrastructure needs — particularly wastewater treatment and electrical load capacity — must be clarified before large-scale development proceeds.

Key provisions and incentives The draft ordinance presented to the public would require data centers to post bonds and could include upfront PILOT-style payments and issuance fees to ensure developers meet commitments. Mayor Chidester said the city prefers up-front payments and raised the option of limiting some incentives to very large operators, citing "the big four" (Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft) as potential examples discussed in the meeting.

Buffers, noise and monitoring Residents pressed for clearer definitions and larger buffers than the draft’s proposed 500-foot standard. The mayor asked staff to note requests to define an "adverse direct impact." On noise, the mayor described proposed limits as an average of 75 dBA over 30 minutes between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. measured at shared property boundaries, and 65 dBA from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. He referenced spot readings taken by council and staff (including a 58 dB reading at a council member’s residence and a 68 dB reading at the interstate) and said monitoring and vibration compliance requirements will be incorporated into the ordinance. Resident Jason Jones supplied a handout that raised infrasound (dbc) and health concerns; council asked staff to review and include vibration/monitoring language.

Water, wastewater and remediation assurances Several speakers asked whether a municipal wastewater plant must precede any data center, and whether groundwater wells would be affected. Janelle Bailey, who identified her experience working for a wastewater utility and for ESG in Macon, urged the council to avoid getting "the cart before the horse" and to protect downstream environments. Mayor Chidester said Byron currently has no application on file and described a possible path in which a data center’s revenue could fund a wastewater treatment plant; he estimated such a plant could cost about $40 million per million gallons of treatment capacity. He proposed baseline testing of private wells within the project radius, monitoring during operation and a follow-up period of roughly five years; if a private well stopped producing, the city would provide city water and would not require annexation as a condition of that relief.

Power, site verification and public safety Residents asked about the city’s current electrical load capacity and whether Georgia Power could expand supply. Mayor Chidester said the city will consult engineers and require written verification from any applicant that the necessary power can be supplied. Fire protection, construction hours, generator noise, emergency shut-offs and medical liability for nearby residents were also discussed; the mayor and residents recommended additional ordinance language to address fire-department costs and emergency response.

Open records, studies and next steps The mayor explained environmental site assessments, hydrology reports and feasibility studies become public records once submitted and can be requested under the Open Records Act. Multiple residents urged independent testing and transparency; the mayor and staff committed to logging those requests and reviewing all recommended language changes as the ordinance draft advances. A moratorium on new data center approvals remains in place while the ordinance is developed.

Public comment and community concerns Citizens raised a range of issues — noise, vibrations, air emissions, groundwater extraction, impacts to wildlife, property values, and whether county or economic-development entities were promoting the site. Several attendees requested independent, nongovernmental water and vibration testing and asked that mitigation, monitoring and decommissioning language be explicit in the ordinance.

Outcome and next steps No ordinance vote occurred. Council recorded public comments and directed staff and the city attorney to incorporate concerns and clarifications into a revised draft; council may extend the moratorium while ordinance language is finalized. The meeting adjourned at 9:16 p.m. on a unanimous procedural motion.