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Paulding County commissioners adopt six-month moratorium on data center approvals
Summary
The board voted to pause acceptance of rezoning applications, development permits and civil plan reviews for data centers in the Technology Park Overlay District until Jan. 1, 2027, while excluding pending applications and active permits; commissioners said they will solicit peer-reviewed research and public input during the pause.
The Paulding County Board of Commissioners voted July 28 to adopt Resolution Number 22026-27, imposing a moratorium on acceptance of rezoning applications, development permits and civil plan review for data centers, data processing and related hosting services in the Technology Park Overlay District through Jan. 1, 2027.
County staff read the resolution in full before the vote. Chris Cable, who read the text for the board, summarized its operative terms: "A moratorium is imposed until 01/01/2027 upon the acceptance of rezoning applications, development permits, [and] acceptance of requests for civil plan review for any land use that will involve the construction of data centers," with enumerated exceptions for applications filed before enactment and for valid, unexpired permits. The resolution also requires persons filing during the moratorium to submit a sworn affidavit that the application does not violate the moratorium.
Commissioners who supported the moratorium framed it as a pause to gather additional data and public input. "We want to hear your comments," a commissioner told residents, urging submission of peer‑reviewed studies to a designated county email and saying staff would aggregate and review the material over the next months. The board emphasized studying impacts including electricity and water demand, wastewater handling, noise and compatibility with nearby residential areas.
The motion to adopt was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The resolution as read places the moratorium into effect immediately and instructs county staff to continue research through the remainder of the year; extensions or further actions would require subsequent board action.
The document references Georgia constitutional authority for county zoning in Article 9, Section 2. The resolution text makes clear the moratorium does not apply to pending rezoning or land-disturbance applications filed before enactment, nor to ongoing valid building permits.
The next steps outlined by commissioners include creating a consolidated comment record (via the county email) and scheduling public engagement events; no specific advisory body, independent review contractor or timeline beyond the moratorium date was specified in the meeting record.
