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The Data Center Divide

Jones County

Neutral Data Center Policies

Jones County’s enacted amendment lets data centers seek conditional approval in M-2 industrial areas, subject to a 100-acre minimum and limits on water use, cooling and noise, plus environmental and decommissioning plans.

current law · County measure
Restricts data centers to conditional-use approval in Jones County’s M-2 industrial zone and sets requirements for site size, noise, water use, environmental review, traffic, wastewater, and decommissioning.Georgia Jones County January 2026 M-2 Data Center Zoning Amendment

What this means

The measure would allow data centers to seek approval in M-2 industrial areas, where they otherwise would not be allowed as a permitted use (conditional use in M-2). But projects would face substantial conditions, including a 100-acre minimum, limits on water and cooling, noise rules, and environmental and decommissioning plans, so the overall effect is a modest net benefit.

People behind it

  • Jones County Planning and Zoning Director who orally requested initiation of the M-2 data-center text-amendment process.

  • Governing body that initiated, revised, and adopted the M-2 conditional-use measure.

  • Advisory body that reviewed the proposed amendment and recommended the original draft for approval.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements19

  • Data centers are allowed only as a conditional use in the M-2 district, not as an automatic or as-of-right use in any Jones County zoning district. An application and the CLDR Sections 151–154 procedures are required, followed by approval by the Board of Commissioners. conditional use

  • The entire contiguous tract proposed for a data center must contain at least 100 acres. Minimum lot size: 100 acres

  • Structures must be set back at least 200 feet from all property lines, or 400 feet for buildings or structures that generate noise. The Board of Commissioners may adjust the setback through the conditional-use approval. Two hundred (200) feet from all property lines, except 400 feet

  • A minimum 200-foot-wide landscaped buffer complying with CLDR Section 84.2 is required along every property line. The Board may adjust this buffer through the conditional-use approval. minimum two-hundred (200) foot wide buffer

  • Principal buildings may not exceed 75 feet in height, measured from structure-pad level. The limit does not apply to listed accessory or incidental structures, including water towers and conveyor belts. shall not exceed seventy-five (75) feet

  • Outdoor air-conditioning, HVAC, and mechanical systems must be visually screened from public road rights-of-way and adjacent residential properties using approved physical or landscaping features. visually screened from view

  • The front facade of each principal structure must face a street or adjacent public-road frontage, unless the building is more than 500 feet from the right-of-way or is not visible from the closest public right-of-way. front building facade

  • Security fencing or walls along a right-of-way may not be placed within the required buffer unless they comply with CLDR Section 84.9. Fencing that intersects or crosses a natural waterway must not obstruct natural water flow and must comply with local, state, and federal requirements. Security fencing and walls along the right-of-way

  • Data centers must comply with all CLDR landscaping requirements, regardless of whether they are near the gateway overlay zoning district. all landscaping requirements in Section 84

  • Private roads within a data-center development are permitted only if they are designed and constructed under the County's public-road standards in the CLDR. designed and constructed in accordance with County public road standards

  • On-site power generation is limited to permitted accessory technologies. Emergency diesel generators require Tier IV compliance and must meet noise, screening, and other applicable requirements. Steam-based power generation requires specific Board approval as part of the conditional-use approval. Power generation via a steam-based power system

  • Outdoor lighting must use full-cutoff fixtures, be limited to 3,500 Kelvin, and be configured to prevent light spillage onto neighboring properties. full cutoff fixtures, limited to 3,500K

  • Noise at any property line may not exceed 55 dBA during the day or 45 dBA at night. Emergency-generator testing is the exception, but it is limited to one test period per week on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the building-permit application must include sound-level modeling. 55 dBA daytime (7:00 AM – 7:00 PM) / 45 dBA nighttime

  • Cooling operations must use closed-loop systems or equivalent water-saving technology. Non-closed-loop and evaporative cooling are prohibited; a public water supply is required; and wells may not be drilled or operated for data-center water supply. Non-closed loop and evaporative cooling systems are prohibited

  • A building-permit application for a data center must include a traffic-impact study identifying measures to minimize disruption from heavy equipment and material transport. traffic impact study

  • The conditional-use application must include a baseline environmental-impact study acceptable to the County zoning director, covering potential air, water, energy, noise, light, traffic, natural-resource, and archaeological or cultural impacts, along with mitigation. The Board may impose additional environmental benchmarks, and compliance must be demonstrated before a building permit is issued. baseline environmental impact study

  • A building-permit application must include a decommissioning plan addressing electronic-waste and other-material management, recycling, and disposal, including future equipment upgrades or replacements. The plan must also provide financial surety, such as a bond or letter of credit, sufficient to cover County-estimated decommissioning costs. financial surety

  • Data centers must connect to a publicly owned municipal or county sewer system. Where that service is unavailable, on-site wastewater treatment and disposal are prohibited. A wastewater-management plan is required, covering process-wastewater pretreatment, estimated volumes, and decommissioning-related wastewater or sludge. connect to a publicly owned municipal or county sewer system

  • All other applicable local, state, and federal regulations continue to apply, and if requirements conflict, the more rigorous requirement controls. the more rigorous requirement shall control

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions8

  • Data centers are authorized as a conditional use in the M-2 General Industrial District, allowing them to be proposed and built there after application and approval by the Board of Commissioners.

  • A conditional-use application may be initiated by the Board of Commissioners on its own motion or by an application from the property owner or the owner's agent.

  • The Board of Commissioners may modify applicable data-center performance standards as part of conditional-use approval, including the standards in Section 74.23 and pertinent M-2 standards.

  • On-site power generation using natural gas, solar, battery storage, or other technologies is permitted as an accessory use.

  • Emergency diesel generators are allowed without separate approval, provided they comply with noise, screening, other applicable requirements, and Tier IV standards.

  • Private roads within a data-center development are permitted, subject to design and construction under the County's public-road standards.

  • Accessory structures are permitted if they comply with applicable CLDR provisions and the required buffer setbacks; guardhouses and secure-entry features are expressly permitted at entrances from public rights-of-way.

  • The measure provides a specific zoning pathway for data centers and states that they are not prohibited as-of-right in every zoning district, while limiting the authorized conditional-use pathway to the M-2 district.

Sources

Specific to Jones County only.

expired · County measure
Allows data centers only with county approval in M-2 industrial districts, subject to requirements for site size, setbacks, noise, water use, environmental review, and decommissioning.Georgia Jones County October 2025 Data Center Moratorium

What this means

If enacted, the measure would create a new path to build data centers in M-2 zones, but only with county approval. The 100-acre minimum and requirements for closed-loop cooling and impact studies add meaningful hurdles, so the overall benefit is modest.

People behind it

  • Adopted the January 16, 2026 resolution creating the M-2 conditional use authorization for data centers.

  • Planning and Zoning Director who initiated the M-2 data-center text-amendment process by making an oral request at the October 21, 2025 Board meeting.

  • Reviewed the proposed M-2 data-center text amendment and recommended its approval to the Board of Commissioners.

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  • Moved to approve the M-2 Data Center Ordinance at the January 16, 2026 Board meeting.

  • Seconded the motion to approve the M-2 Data Center Ordinance at the January 16, 2026 Board meeting.

  • Chairman of the Jones County Board of Commissioners who signed the adopted resolution.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements23

  • Data centers are not allowed as-of-right in any zoning district; they may operate in the M-2 district only after conditional-use approval by the Board of Commissioners.

  • An applicant must submit an application and follow the CLDR Sections 151–154 procedures for seeking M-2 conditional-use authorization.

  • The entire contiguous tract proposed for a data center must contain at least 100 acres.

  • Structures must be set back at least 200 feet from all property lines. Buildings or structures that generate noise require a 400-foot setback, although the Board may adjust the setback through the use-permit approval.

  • Principal buildings may not exceed 75 feet in height, measured from the structure pad level, subject to listed exceptions for certain accessory or uninhabited structures.

  • A minimum 200-foot landscaped buffer complying with CLDR Section 84.2 is required along all property lines. The Board may adjust this buffer through the use-permit approval.

  • Outdoor HVAC, air-conditioning, and other mechanical systems must be visually screened from public roads and adjacent residential properties.

  • Principal buildings must orient their front facade toward a street or adjacent public-road frontage unless they are more than 500 feet from the right-of-way or are not visible from the closest public right-of-way.

  • Security fencing and walls along rights-of-way must comply with CLDR Section 84.9 and may not be placed within the required buffer unless compliant. Fencing interacting with waterways must preserve natural water flow and comply with applicable local, state, and federal requirements.

  • Accessory structures must comply with applicable CLDR requirements and the data-center buffer setbacks; guardhouses and secure-entry features are allowed only at public-right-of-way entrances.

  • Data centers must comply with all CLDR Section 84 landscaping requirements, regardless of proximity to the gateway overlay district.

  • Private roads within a data-center development must be designed and constructed to County public-road standards.

  • On-site power generation is subject to accessory-use conditions. Emergency diesel generators must satisfy noise, screening, and other applicable requirements and be Tier IV compliant; steam-based power generation requires specific Board approval as part of the use-permit approval.

  • All outdoor lighting must use full-cutoff fixtures, be limited to 3,500K, and prevent light spillage onto adjoining properties.

  • A building-permit application for a principal data-center structure must include sound-level modeling, and noise at property lines may not exceed 55 dBA during the day or 45 dBA at night. Emergency-generator testing is limited to one weekday test period per week between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

  • Cooling operations must use closed-loop systems or equivalent water-minimizing technology. Non-closed-loop and evaporative cooling systems are prohibited.

  • A public water supply is required, and drilling or operating wells for data-center water supply is prohibited.

  • A building-permit application must include a traffic-impact study addressing measures to minimize disruption from heavy equipment and material transport.

  • A conditional-use application must include a baseline environmental-impact study addressing air quality, water resources, energy generation, noise, light, traffic, natural resources, and archaeological or cultural resources, including mitigation measures. The Board may impose additional environmental benchmarks that must be demonstrated before a building permit is issued.

  • A building-permit application must include a decommissioning plan covering electronic waste and other materials, including future equipment replacements, and must provide a County-approved financial surety sufficient to cover estimated decommissioning costs.

  • Data centers must connect to a publicly owned municipal or County sewer system; on-site wastewater treatment and disposal are prohibited where public sewer service is unavailable.

  • The applicable building or conditional-use application must include a wastewater-management plan covering pretreatment of process wastewater, estimated wastewater volumes during normal and maintenance operations, and handling and disposal of wastewater or sludge generated during decommissioning.

  • All other applicable local, state, and federal regulations remain in force, and the more rigorous requirement controls if there is a conflict with the ordinance.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions12

  • Creates a conditional-use authorization for data centers in the M-2 General Industrial District, allowing construction and operation after application and approval by the Board of Commissioners.

  • Allows a data-center conditional-use approval to be initiated either by the Board of Commissioners on its own motion or by an application from the property owner or the owner's agent.

  • Defines a data center to include a facility or campus of facilities and structures customarily incidental or related to data-center operations, allowing multiple related facilities and supporting components to be treated as part of the use.

  • Permits on-site power generation using natural gas, solar, battery storage, or other technologies as an accessory use.

  • Allows emergency diesel generators without separate approval, provided they comply with noise, screening, other applicable requirements, and Tier IV standards.

  • Permits private roads within a data-center development if they are designed and constructed according to County public-road standards.

  • Permits accessory structures that meet the applicable buffer setbacks and allows guardhouses and secure-entry features at entrances from public rights-of-way.

  • Allows the Board of Commissioners to modify the applicable data-center performance standards through the conditional-use approval, including the standards otherwise applicable under Section 74.23 and relevant M-2 provisions.

  • Expressly permits the Board of Commissioners to adjust the required setbacks and buffer requirements as part of the conditional-use approval.

  • Allows principal data-center buildings up to 75 feet in height, while exempting specified accessory and incidental structures, such as water towers and conveyor belts, from that height limit.

  • Allows a data-center development on a contiguous tract of at least 100 acres, supporting campus-scale development.

  • Permits steam-based power generation if the Board of Commissioners specifically approves it as part of the conditional-use approval.

Sources

repealed · County measure
Restricts data centers to conditional-use approval in Jones County’s M-2 district and sets requirements for their location, site design, noise, lighting, water use, traffic, and environmental review.Georgia Jones County September 2025 Data Center Text Amendment to the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution

What this means

The rules allow data centers, but they limit them to conditional-use approval in the M-2 district, rather than allowing them automatically (conditional use only within the M-2 district). The 400-acre minimum, 200-foot setbacks, and requirements for noise, water use, and impact studies create significant hurdles, though onsite power generation and internal-road flexibility offer some help (minimum of four hundred (400) acres).

People behind it

  • Rescinded the data center zoning ordinances.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements22

  • Data centers are allowed only as conditional uses in the M-2 General Industrial District; they are not allowed as-of-right in any zoning district.

  • Applicants must obtain conditional-use authorization and follow the application procedures in CLDR Sections 151 through 154.

  • A data center development must consist of a contiguous tract of at least 400 acres.

  • The development must have at least 110 feet of frontage on a street and a minimum lot width of 400 feet at the building line.

  • Principal buildings are limited to 75 feet in height, measured from structure pad level, although the limit does not apply to certain accessory structures such as water towers, conveyor belts, and other incidental, uninhabited structures.

  • Principal buildings must maintain 200-foot front, side, and rear setbacks.

  • A minimum 100-foot-wide buffer complying with Section 84.2 is required along all property lines; the buffer may be located within required building setbacks.

  • Air-conditioning units, cooling systems, and HVAC equipment must be screened from public rights-of-way and adjacent properties using buildings, walls, fencing, or roof elements.

  • Front facades of principal structures must face street fronts or adjacent arterial street fronts, unless the building is more than 500 feet from the public right-of-way or is not visible from it.

  • Security fencing and walls along rights-of-way cannot be placed within the required buffer unless they comply with Section 84.9.

  • Accessory structures must comply with applicable CLDR provisions, although structures meeting the Section 96.7.5 buffer setbacks are permitted; guardhouses and secure-entry features are allowed at public-road entrances.

  • Internal subdivision flexibility does not eliminate the requirement that the overall development satisfy the tract, setback, and buffer standards, and each subdivided lot must have adequate access through public or private roads.

  • Private roads within a data center development must be designed and constructed according to county public-road standards under the CLDR.

  • Onsite natural-gas, solar, or other renewable power generation is permitted only after obtaining all applicable construction permits, including air and building permits.

  • Cryptocurrency processing facilities are excluded from the data-center definition and cryptocurrency processing is expressly prohibited.

  • Outdoor lighting must use full-cutoff fixtures, be limited to 3,500K, and be arranged to prevent light trespass onto adjacent properties.

  • Sound at any property line may not exceed 45 dB from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM or 35 dB from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, except during emergency-generator testing.

  • Emergency-generator testing is limited to once per week, on weekdays, between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

  • Data centers must use closed-loop cooling systems or equivalent technology to minimize water use beyond initial system charging and personnel needs.

  • During construction, the applicant must submit a traffic-management plan addressing heavy equipment and material transport and minimizing disruption to local roads.

  • A conditional-use application must include information on potential impacts to air quality, water resources, energy generation, noise, light, traffic, natural resources, and archaeological or cultural resources, as well as proposed mitigation.

  • The County may require additional areas of study when site-specific conditions indicate potential for significant environmental, cultural, or community impacts.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions9

  • Data centers may seek conditional-use approval in the M-2 General Industrial District, subject to Sections 74.23 and 96.7 and the application procedures in CLDR Sections 151–154. They are not allowed as-of-right in any zoning district.

  • A Data Center Development is treated as the entire contiguous tract presented for development, allowing a campus to be planned and reviewed as one overall development.

  • Internal subdivision flexibility allows required setbacks and buffers to apply only to the external boundaries of the overall development. Internal lots do not have to meet the minimum frontage, width, or acreage requirements if the overall tract qualifies and each lot has adequate public or private road access.

  • Private roads are expressly permitted within a Data Center Development, provided they are designed and constructed under County public-road standards.

  • Onsite power generation using natural gas, solar energy, or other renewable sources is permitted, subject to obtaining applicable construction, air-quality, and other permits.

  • Accessory structures are permitted when they meet the applicable buffer setbacks, and guardhouses and secure-entry features are expressly allowed at public-road entrances.

  • The front-façade orientation requirement does not apply to buildings located more than 500 feet from the public right-of-way or buildings that are not visible from it.

  • The 75-foot principal-building height limit does not apply to accessory structures such as water towers, conveyor belts, and other incidental, uninhabited structures.

  • If Section 96.7 conflicts with another provision of the CLDR, Section 96.7 controls, protecting qualifying data-center developments from inconsistent zoning requirements.

Sources

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