UPDATE: Walker County commissioners voted to extend its moratorium on data centers by 180 days on Thursday, August 6.
The moratorium applies only to unincorporated areas of the county.
“This prevents a potential data center from requesting a permit.”
Once Walker County’s attorney and other staff members review the zoning code, they will propose amendments to “enhance, mitigate and regulate this specific form of land use,” according to county leaders.
They will consider:
Allowable zoning districts
Setbacks
Buffers
Noise
Lighting
Water and electricity demand
Environmental impacts
Compatibility with surrounding land uses
Commissioners also created a data center study group for additional input on impacts.
The Data Center Development Standards Study Committee will consist of:
Walker County Economic Development Director, chair
Walker County Planning Director, vice-chair
2 members appointed by the District 1 commissioner
2 members appointed by the District 2 commissioner
2 members appointed by the District 3 commissioner
2 members appointed by the District 4 commissioner
The President of the Walker County Chamber of Commerce
District commissioners will make their appointments by August 10, or they will be selected by the committee chair. The Board of Commissioners requests that the committee complete its work by December 4, 2026.
About a dozen concerned residents spoke out at the public meeting to share their concerns.
An environmental conservation group, Bumble Bear LLC, shared a clip of a LaFayette man speaking out at the commission meeting on Thursday.
"Outside of tax revenue, what is a single benefit that they [data centers] will give to anyone in this county? There's nothing. ... Can any of you name a single benefit?"
Commissioners did not respond. The man, Jonathan Stapleton, stated his belief that, instead of extending the moratorium and creating study groups, the county should ban data centers altogether, which garnered applause from the packed crowd.
The board also reiterated that the purpose of these meetings and the moratorium is because residents were concerned that a potential data center could come to the county.
The moratorium will last until February 2, 2027.
PREVIOUS STORY: The 30-day moratorium on data centers in Walker County only applies to unincorporated areas, Chairwoman Angie Teems clarified in a video on Tuesday.
The moratorium does not apply to any cities within Walker County.
“It’s important to note that the moratorium applies only to unincorporated Walker County. Each city would need to take its own action,” Teems said in the video.
Notably, Walker County’s July 10 press release on the matter did not specify that it only applied to unincorporated Walker County. It stated, “The temporary moratorium prohibits the acceptance of any application relating to locating a data center in the county for 30 days.”
Teems says the moratorium’s purpose is to study different types of data centers, their impacts, gather public input and consider amending any policies before approving future projects.
She adds that the county will be releasing a series of posts over the next few weeks to “educate and inform” county residents on issues that “need clarification.”
PREVIOUS STORY: Walker County Commissioners passed a 30-day data center moratorium Thursday night.
Following a public forum at the board’s August 6th meeting, they will consider adopting a 180-day moratorium, which would pause data center development into February 2027.
“We just don't want it, or at least if we do want it, then we need to say, ‘What are we willing to put up with?’ and maybe the zoning needs to take a really look at this,” one concerned resident said.
Another asked if county leaders had received any proposals for data centers. Chairwoman Angie Teems said while the county has heard from one or two people, they do not have names of companies.
“We were listening to the public because everybody's really wanting to make sure we don't get any of those here. There are different types of data centers,” Teems said.
The moratorium bars the county from accepting applications for the construction or operation of a data center, at least for now.
PREVIOUS STORY: The Walker County Board of Commissioners will consider a 30-day moratorium on data center development Thursday night.
The brief pause would allow leaders to “consider amendments to the county’s zoning or land use permitting code,” according to the resolution.
Wamp said the goal is to be proactive rather than reactive.
The moratorium would bar the county from accepting applications for “rezoning, land disturbance permits, business licenses, or certificates of occupancy” for the placement, construction or operation of data centers.
Currently, there are no data centers in operation in Walker County. Data Center Map, an online database, shows there are three data centers in Dalton. In total, the site reports 227 data centers in Georgia.
Chattanooga is home to five of 63 data centers across Tennessee. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp last week proposed a one-year moratorium on data center development in rural areas. Commissioners will vote Wednesday on the proposal.
Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill this spring requiring data centers to cover the cost of any necessary infrastructure upgrades, in an effort to ensure the cost of upgrades triggered by data centers does not impact the rate charged to residential or other commercial power customers.
While Georgia lawmakers proposed similar legislation, known as Senate Bill 34, it ultimately failed.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6:30pm Thursday at the Walker County Courthouse Annex IV in Lafayette.