Setback options and mapping may determine whether county sites can host data centers

A central policy tradeoff in the work session was how large a setback the county should require to protect residences and schools, and how that buffer would affect land availability for data centers.

Staff proposed requiring high‑energy use facilities to show impacts within 500 feet, and proposed general setbacks including 300 feet from adjacent residential property lines and 500 feet from residences. Several commissioners pressed for larger buffers—some suggested 1,000 feet for high‑energy sites and possibly for schools. Commissioners noted that a 1,000‑foot minimum setback around a 100,000 sq ft site can dramatically increase the acreage needed: one speaker calculated a 100,000‑sq‑ft facility with 1,000‑ft setbacks could require more than 120 acres as a practical minimum.

Commissioners asked staff to provide maps showing DSD and industrial parcels (staff flagged the Shirley T. Holland area and IWIP as likely candidate locations) so the commission can evaluate which properties remain feasible under different setback scenarios. Staff agreed to return with acreage examples, maps and a graduated setback approach tied to small/medium/large facility categories.