Jackson County planners review draft data-center rules; staff to present 12-month moratorium extension to board

Staff led a work session July 20 reviewing a draft ordinance meant to govern high-density computing facilities in unincorporated Jackson County and outlined a plan to present a proposed 12-month replacement moratorium to the Board of Supervisors on July 28, 2026. The current moratorium is set to expire Aug. 31, 2026, and staff said the extension would buy time for targeted legal, technical and agency review.

Becca, a county staff member presenting the draft, said the working document focuses on durable land-use principles rather than detailed technical standards that may quickly become outdated. The draft addresses applicability within unincorporated areas, interdepartmental review, utility coordination, baseline and complaint-based testing, annual compliance certification, road-use and financial-assurance requirements, decommissioning and owner/operator responsibilities, enforcement and cost recovery, permanent construction and screening, scenic-byway considerations, and protections for cooling and water resources.

Commissioners highlighted several technical and policy priorities. On noise and generator testing, the commission discussed limiting non-emergency generator testing to normal business hours (roughly 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) and sequencing tests to avoid simultaneous runs that could increase noise. On visual impacts, staff proposed allowing the zoning administrator or the Board of Adjustment to require a view-shed or visual-impact analysis when site-specific circumstances—facility size, topography, proximity to occupied structures or designated scenic resources—warrant it; the commission debated whether the draft’s use of 'may' should be strengthened in places to ensure consistent protection of scenic byways. Several commissioners said any scenic or viewshed standard should be applied consistently to similarly sized non-data-center buildings.

The commission addressed decommissioning standards. Staff said the Jackson County Farm Bureau recommended security fencing remain in place through decommissioning to deter vandalism and unauthorized entry; the draft would require fencing to remain until decommissioning and site restoration are substantially complete and would allow fencing to remain only if approved as part of a lawful reuse or continued site-security plan. Commissioners also questioned whether the county would have legal authority to require removal of interior equipment or to inspect inside buildings; staff and commissioners agreed those questions should be referred to the county attorney and that decommissioning plans should be drafted to clarify any inspection rights the county expects to rely on.

On financial and roadway impacts, staff proposed requiring applicants to secure road-repair obligations through bonds, letters of credit or escrow—potentially set at 130% of estimated road-related costs—and suggested adding internal cross-references connecting road-repair obligations to the financial-assurance requirement. Staff also proposed requiring applicants, developers or option holders to execute acknowledgments that clarify successor obligations and enforcement responsibilities so that responsibility does not lapse when projects are transferred.

Setbacks were a major discussion point. The draft includes a principal setback measured from occupied structures and cemeteries (1,000 feet), 500 feet from nonparticipating property lines and wells, and 1,000 feet from mapped special areas; alternatives under consideration include measuring from the property line or using a 1,320-foot (0.25-mile) standard used elsewhere. Commissioners discussed allowing recorded waivers by property owners while protecting neighboring property owners from impacts; they deferred selecting a final approach until staff can return comparative analysis and county-attorney review.

Staff emphasized the draft is a working document and recommended using a 12-month moratorium extension to obtain targeted professional input (technical, departmental, agency and legal) and to continue focusing the ordinance on land-use principles rather than highly prescriptive technical limits. No formal action on the moratorium or the ordinance was taken at the July 20 meeting; staff said the moratorium-extension resolution will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on July 28, 2026.

Next steps include county-attorney review of enforcement and decommissioning language, comparative data and analysis on setback options, and future focused work sessions on narrower technical topics. The commission scheduled its next meeting for Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.