Walker County Data Center Panel Debates Draft Ordinance and Parcel Size Rules in Third Meeting

The Walker County Data Center Development Standards Study Committee reconvened recently for its third meeting, undertaking a section-by-section review of the county's initial draft data center ordinance. Key discussions focused on parcel size thresholds, conditional use options, water capacity limits, and a tense exchange regarding committee transparency and industry conflicts.

Draft Ordinance Review: Parcel Minimums and Micro-Facility Rules

Planning & Zoning Director Jon Pursley and Economic Development Director Stephanie Watkins opened the session by outlining updates to the draft ordinance. Following recommendations from prior meetings, staff added Section 15, which mandates upfront performance and decommissioning bonds to protect the county from abandoned infrastructure.

Under Section 3 (Land Use), the draft restricts data centers to industrially zoned districts and establishes a 10-acre minimum parcel size. Committee members debated whether a 10-acre requirement is suitable for smaller "micro-facilities" or fiber "booster stations" which can occupy as little as 5,000 square feet and consume minimal power and water.

District 1 Appointee Barney Danks said restricting data centers strictly to the industrial zone could make land disappear quickly. He questioned why would the county force an industry to locate on 10-acres, if it only needs two. "I think commercial sites, whether existing in the county today or in the future, may want to have a 'data center' that is small." He encouraged the committee to focus industrial zone requirements on hyper-scale operations. "Not every data center is the same as another data center."

The other District 1 appointee, Jason Rader, suggested restrictions for data centers with a footprint greater than 50,000 square feet. "I think smaller ones should be allowed in commercial. It's no different than other buildings. It could be a dollar store or anything else."

Pursley explained that developers seeking smaller footprints or commercial locations (such as C1 or C2 zones) can apply for a conditional use permit or variance, allowing the Board of Commissioners case-by-case oversight. County records show Walker County contains 63 industrial-zoned parcels with a majority of the acreage located within the Walker County Business Park (400 acres) and the Northwest Georgia Business Park in Rock Spring (50 acres). Appointees agreed to consult legal counsel to confirm whether restricting facilities strictly to established industrial parks is legally defensible.

Closed Loop Cooling Systems and Committee Member Experience

District 3 Appointee Laura Owsley questioned District 1 Appointee Barney Danks regarding his industry holdings. Danks mentioned he operates an 8-megawatt Bitcoin mining facility on 2.5 acres along Glentana Road using open-air cooling fans.

Owsley raised concerns over a lack of prior disclosure and questioned whether Danks resides in Walker County. Danks clarified that while he owns commercial property and businesses in Rossville and Walker County, he resides elsewhere. He acknowledged that his 6-year-old facility relies on older open-air technology, which generates noise and would not comply with proposed modern standards, and expressed support for requiring closed-loop cooling systems for future developments. Committee members appear favorable toward recommending closed-loop system requirements in their report.

Water Capacity Limits, Utility Easements, and Power Restrictions

Resource protection remained a core focus. While Walker County Water and Sewer maintains an excess capacity of 4.5 to 5 million gallons per day, officials noted that upcoming commercial developments (such as the Pilgrim's prepared foods facility) and residential housing growth will absorb much of that margin. To prevent unexpected grid strain, the committee agreed to require developers to submit utility capacity confirmation letters covering all project phases prior to permit approval.

On power infrastructure, Danks noted the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) now requires major power users to pay $1.5 million per megawatt upfront for infrastructure expansion. The committee discussed prohibiting on-site fossil fuel power plants and requiring data center developers, and not utility companies or the county, to secure their own utility easements to prevent the use of eminent domain through residential neighborhoods.

Setbacks, Green Space, and Environmental Protections

The committee reviewed physical development standards under Section 4:

• Setbacks & Buffers: The draft establishes a 100-foot setback between adjacent industrial properties and a 400-foot setback from residential properties, matching the county's restrictive poultry house standards.
• Green Space & Height: Parcels must maintain a 15% minimum green space buffer, and buildings are capped at a maximum height of 50 feet. HVAC units and generators must be placed on roofs or oriented away from residential borders.
• Environmental & Historic Protections: Owsley advocated adding an anti-clustering clause to prevent cumulative air quality impacts and urged prohibiting data centers in historic districts such as McLemore Cove.

Next Steps and Data Center Tour

Committee members will take a tour early next month of regional data centers and booster stations to see operations firsthand. At their next meeting, they plan to discuss sound/noise and lighting restrictions.

The committee is working toward a December 4 deadline to finalize its draft recommendations. Once complete, the proposed ordinance will move to the Planning & Zoning Board for public hearings before reaching the Board of Commissioners for a final vote in early 2027.