Dear Editor,
It’s interesting that now — after creating the new D-C data center zoning district — the public is being told to expect future rezoning requests. The problem with that narrative is simple: the entity that already purchased the property can move forward today under the existing S-1 zoning. They do not need D-c approval to build the very data center they intended from the beginning. So, presenting this as if D-C somehow creates a new layer of protection is misleading at best. Personally, I have submitted concerns regarding the rezoning process, and to date, have not heard back from you.
At the last commission meeting, a professional engineer made it very clear that this new D-C zoning is not a gold-standard model. In fact, he said it was far below the established standards in other areas — specifically referencing a location some of our commissioners visited, where serious noise and quality-of-life complaints are occurring right now. The engineer went on to specifically reference OSHA standards. That perspective has never been publicly acknowledged. Again, a rush without proper due diligence to protect the public interests.
The D-C ordinance also claims that wells cannot be installed on the site. That is factually incorrect. Columbia County has no jurisdiction over the aquifer beneath that property. That authority lies with the Georgia EPD, and any developer has every right to apply for production wells on that site — regardless of what the county ordinance says. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
Another primary concern is the county’s decision to rush the DRI submission to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs in April. In that rush, the county conveniently failed to check the box indicating this is part of a larger build-out—an omission that dramatically changes how the project is evaluated. Submitting the DRI so quickly, right before DCA paused data-center activity due to statewide concerns, gives the strong appearance of trying to get it approved before a more stringent and publicly transparent review could take place.
Both the Department of Community Affairs and countless citizens have been sounding the alarm about the impacts of massive data-center development—power demands, sound issues, water use, environmental strain, and the lack of meaningful zoning safeguards. None of that is being addressed head-on.
So while I appreciate Ms. Couch posting this update now, the timing raises questions.
Where was this level of transparency when the property was originally being zoned S-1?
Where were the town halls?
Where was the open dialogue about the scale of what was coming—not just the 1,600 acres discussed initially, but possibly another 2,000 acres on top of that?
And perhaps the biggest unanswered question of all: What is the actual tax revenue benefit to the citizens of Columbia County? To this day, no one has offered a clear answer. For a project of this size — one that will reshape thousands of acres of our county — that information should have been public from the very beginning.
Lee Muns
Harlem, GA
