Commissioners approve publishing draft SALDO amendment to regulate data centers; 60-day public comment planned

Franklin County planning staff presented a draft amendment to the county’s subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO) that would set countywide design and impact standards for data centers and direct staff to publish the draft for public review.

Quentin Clapper, planning director, summarized key provisions: a 35-foot maximum building height tied to emergency-service access; a noise limit of 57 decibels at the property boundary; requirements to mitigate air, dust, glare, exhaust, heat and humidity impacts; closed-loop cooling to reduce water loss; solar-readiness and a requirement that on-site solar provide 25% of a data center’s energy needs; buffer yards and staged setback distances tied to facility size and proximity to sensitive receptors; and a required environmental and community impact analysis addressing emergency services, water supply, sewer, solid waste and public budgets.

Clapper explained that the amendment is not county zoning and would not supersede municipal ordinances where zoning exists; rather, the SALDO amendment would provide enforceable standards where municipalities lack zoning or subdivision controls. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about setbacks (including a 1,000-foot request from one commissioner for residential separation), sensitive-receptor definitions (schools, daycares, hospitals, long-term-care facilities, places of worship, campgrounds, prisons, dormitories and residences not on industrial parcels) and timeline for public review.

Solicitor Elliot Salt Cove confirmed this approach as an amendment to the existing SALDO and staff recommended publishing the draft. Commissioners moved, seconded and passed a motion to publish the draft ordinance, make it available for up to a 60-day public comment period and return to the board with a summary of comments before any adoption vote.