Commissioners approve 90-day moratorium on new data-center applications, direct staff to draft UDO text amendments

At the Sept. 16 meeting, county staff asked the board for permission to draft several Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) text amendments and presented a separate resolution to impose a 90-day moratorium on new data-processing center applications in unincorporated Troup County. The staff member clarified: "This is not an approval of the text amendments themselves. This is just permission...to move forward with drafting text amendments and doing research on certain ones like the data centers." The board approved the resolution by voice vote.

Staff described the moratorium as a temporary pause to allow time for research and to prepare proposed ordinance language; the draft resolution defines "data center" consistent with definitions used by other counties and allows the moratorium to be shortened or extended as needed. Commissioners discussed whether cryptocurrency mining (Bitcoin) would fall under the moratorium and noted that whether mining requires rezoning or permits depends on the specific proposed use and location. No pending unincorporated applications exist, staff said, but the moratorium gives staff time to study impacts and return with proposed language and public hearings for final adoption.