Commissioners form ordinance-review committee; discuss moratorium on data centers and related technologies

DeKalb County commissioners voted to name a commissioners’ representative to a planning-commission ordinance-review committee charged with drafting zoning and development standards for emerging technologies, including data centers, carbon capture and storage and small modular reactors.

Staff said the planning commission will include four planning-commission members, county and planning attorneys and a commissioners’ representative. Commissioners moved to appoint Jim Miller as the county’s representative to the committee and accepted the motion with one abstention noted.

Commissioners discussed whether the county should propose a temporary moratorium on data center development while standards are drafted and public input is gathered. Staff explained a moratorium would be implemented by ordinance through the planning commission and would pause new applications while ordinances are developed; commissioners asked counsel to prepare draft language and to bring it to the planning commission for review.

The board emphasized protecting local water resources and ensuring public engagement as the committee drafts proposed ordinance language.