Candler County Commissioners met Tuesday night for their regular county commission meeting, but stopped short of taking any formal action on matters pertaining to data centers.
On Tuesday’s meeting agenda was the discussion of data center projects and related zoning ordinances, which would include any consideration of management, restrictions, etc. in unincorporated Candler County. Unincorporated Candler County means any location that is not within the city limits of a municipality.
Commissioners voted 4-0 to table the item with discussion including that it would be preferable for all commissioners to be present before any formal action is taken. Commissioner Blake Hendrix was not present for Tuesday’s meeting.
Tabling the matter means it will come before commissioners again at the next meeting.
The discussion comes on the heels of the informal release of information regarding the courting of a data center by the Candler County Industrial Authority. The proposed location for the project includes a parcel near the airport and Interstate 16. Though the parcel is not currently inside the city limits of Metter, possible annexation is on the table to accommodate expansion of Industrial Authority property as well as a location for a possible data center. If the property was annexed by the City of Metter, any zoning ordinances put in place for unincorporated county with regard to data centers would not apply.
Commissioner David Morales said he wanted to be clear that *now* is the time for members of the public to come forward and share with commissioners what they think about the issue. “And bring the data,” he said.
In recent months, data center development has quickly become a major economic development and land use issue across South Georgia.
Communities are weighing billions of dollars in private investment and new property tax revenue against concerns from citizens over electricity demand, water consumption, noise, environmental impacts, short-term employments and the infrastructure needed to support the facilities.
