A temporary moratorium bars applications to rezone land for new data centers in unincorporated Cobb County.

A temporary moratorium bars permit applications to build new data centers in unincorporated Cobb County.

The moratorium was set to last 180 days, or until county officials amend the data-center development ordinance, whichever occurs first; the August 2026 agenda separately proposes extending it.

A six-month moratorium adopted February 24, 2026 bars rezoning applications and permit applications for new data centers in unincorporated Cobb County.

Data centers are allowed only in the light industrial (LI) and heavy industrial (HI) zoning districts and require a Special Land Use Permit approved by the Board of Commissioners.

The regulations apply to data centers exceeding 30,000 gross square feet and/or consuming more than three megawatts of power.

All regular data-center power must be generated offsite; emergency generators and other emergency power equipment may operate only when offsite electricity service is interrupted.

Emergency generators and other emergency power equipment may be tested only on weekdays between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

A data-center site must be at least five acres and no more than 30 acres.

The maximum floor area ratio for a data center is 0.75.

Data-center buildings and specified accessory structures and equipment may not exceed 50 feet in height measured from structure-pad level, and all structure heights require Board of Commissioners approval through the Special Land Use Permit.

Principal data-center buildings and related operating equipment must be set back at least 300 feet from property lines adjoining residential properties, schools, daycares, churches, or parks, and at least 50 feet from property lines adjoining other nonresidential properties.

Applicants must reserve parking at a ratio of at least one space per 2,000 square feet of gross floor area, with the constructed number of spaces subject to a parking analysis approved by the Community Development Director.

Data-center noise may not exceed 65 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. or 55 dB(A) from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., measured at a property line adjoining residentially used or zoned property.

A natural buffer at least 200 feet wide is required next to residentially zoned property, churches, schools, daycares, or parks, and a 100-foot buffer is required next to all other uses. Detention ponds are prohibited in the buffer, and utilities crossing it must do so at a 90-degree angle.

Exterior site and building lighting must use fully shielded, full-cutoff fixtures with zero upward light, prevent light trespass, be located at least four times the fixture mounting height from property lines, remain no higher than 20 feet above finished grade, and not exceed 0.05 footcandles at a property line adjoining residential use.

The data-center property must be enclosed by fencing. Property-line fencing must be decorative metal at least eight feet high and may not include barbed, concertina, razor, or similar anti-climb wire; chain-link fencing and anti-climb features are allowed inside an obscured buffer only when not visible from adjacent properties or roadways.

Before a certificate of occupancy is issued, the owner must provide a decommissioning bond approved by the County Attorney and sufficient to restore the site to its predevelopment condition, as determined by an independent Georgia-licensed professional engineer.

The developer must provide a certified design-professional analysis of peak water demand and water-supply adequacy, and the Cobb County Water System must confirm wastewater-treatment and collection capacity.

Data centers must use closed-loop cooling systems and may not discharge cooling water into the county wastewater system except for routine maintenance.

The data-center facility must pay 100 percent of the cost of water, wastewater, or other infrastructure improvements needed to serve it.

A data center may be required to comply with industrial pretreatment standards and obtain permitting under Chapter 122, as determined by the Cobb County Water System before issuance of a land-disturbance permit.

Building exteriors must use approved limited earth-tone colors or finishes, and the exterior façade requires Board of Commissioners approval.

Creates a Special Land Use Permit pathway for data centers in the zoning districts identified in the use table, rather than prohibiting them outright. The data-center definition covers facilities exceeding 30,000 gross square feet or consuming more than three megawatts of power.

Allows data centers on lots between 5 and 30 acres, subject to a maximum floor-area ratio of 0.75.

Allows buildings and associated equipment, including water towers, conveyor belts, HVAC equipment, generators, and other incidental structures, to be up to 50 feet high with Board of Commissioners approval through the Special Land Use Permit.

Allows the building exterior façade and the height of all structures to be approved as part of the Special Land Use Permit review.

Permits emergency generators and other emergency power-supply equipment when off-site electricity is interrupted, and for testing on weekdays between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Provides parking flexibility: land must be reserved for one parking space per 2,000 square feet of gross floor area, but the number actually built may be set through an applicant-submitted parking analysis approved by the Community Development Director.

Requires principal data-center buildings and related operating equipment to be set back 300 feet from residential properties, schools, daycares, churches, and parks, but permits a 50-foot setback from other nonresidential properties.

Allows closed-loop cooling systems without discharge of cooling water into the county wastewater system, except for routine maintenance.

Provides a county water-system review process for evaluating a proposed facility's peak water demand, water-supply adequacy, and wastewater-treatment and collection capacity.