Cobb County staff proposes definition, setbacks and environmental safeguards for data centers; moratorium extension planned

John Peterson, zoning division manager, presented staff’s draft code package for data centers and recommended the board extend the county’s moratorium that currently controls new data‑center applications.

Peterson read the staff definition in the draft UDC: "a facility containing 1 or more large scale computer systems used for data storage and processing for off‑site users." He said staff would treat data centers as a special‑use permit in light‑industrial (LI) and heavy‑industrial (HI) zoning and recommended guardrails including a 0.75 floor‑area ratio (FAR), minimum lot size of 5 acres and maximum of 30 acres, and a 50‑foot maximum building height (including rooftop equipment).

To limit neighborhood impacts staff proposed a 300‑foot building setback from residential uses, schools, churches and daycares and 50 feet from nonresidential uses; natural buffers, low site‑lighting thresholds, an eight‑foot decorative fence (no visible anti‑climb measures) and decibel limits (65 dB daytime, 55 dB night) were also recommended. Peterson said staff will require water infrastructure studies, wastewater treatment plans, closed‑loop cooling to reduce wastewater generation, industrial pretreatment permitting and that developers would pay 100% of infrastructure improvements. He also recommended a decommissioning bond to ensure sites can be restored after operations cease.

Peterson asked the board to extend the moratorium at the first August meeting so staff can return with the draft code in the fall. The chairwoman and commissioners also scheduled public expert sessions: an online presentation Aug. 4 and a town hall on Aug. 6 at the Cobb County Civic Center to hear noise and other technical experts before formal code adoption.