Planning commission recommends limiting Coffee County data centers to M2 industrial zones, adds operational conditions

The Coffee County Planning Commission voted June 23 to recommend that the county legislative body amend the zoning resolution to allow data centers and data‑center accessory uses only as conditional (special‑impact) uses in the M2 industrial district.

The recommendation follows an extended review of a draft resolution and a presentation by County Attorney Mark Williams and Emergency Management Agency Director Wade Evans. Williams told commissioners the county can regulate but generally cannot categorically exclude a lawful business under state enabling law; instead, he recommended tightly tailored conditions to address public‑safety and infrastructure concerns. "You can regulate and make sure all of these items … would be considered," Williams said during the commission’s discussion.

The draft resolution examined by the commission would add a definition for data centers, require placement in an M2 special‑impact industrial zone, and attach technical and operational conditions. Commissioners discussed minimum setbacks and screening (a working minimum of 300 feet was discussed with some members favoring 500 feet or a 300‑foot minimum with discretion to increase), a 35‑foot height limit, and landscape buffers measured from property boundaries or adjacent zoning districts.

Emergency management and fire officials told the commission the county must plan for significant new hazards if large data centers locate in rural areas. "Data centers take a lot of water," Wade Evans, Coffee County EMA director, said, citing cooling needs, large‑scale battery energy storage and diesel fuel for backup generators. Evans warned that lithium‑ion battery storage creates "fire hazard plus hazmat" demands and said local volunteer fire departments may require specialized training and equipment. Brandon Gun of Arnold Air Force Base’s fire department said commercial aerial trucks cost roughly $2 million and that rural water‑line sizes often cannot support high‑volume firefighting flows.

Commission members and staff discussed how to limit operational impacts: requiring a water feasibility study to document effects on nearby wells and groundwater; defining allowable power configurations and clarifying what constitutes "the grid" (private substation/direct feed vs. public distribution); requiring initial and periodic environmental and noise testing while operational (county staff suggested quarterly testing for noise, air quality and water during operation); and capping generator runtime during outages (a 72‑hour limit was discussed).

To address end‑of‑life risks, commissioners asked the draft to include an escrow or decommissioning fund, possibly collected as an impact fee per megawatt, to ensure funds for decommissioning or remediation if a facility abandons infrastructure. Williams agreed to draft clearer language on bonds, escrow accounts, and remediation assurances.

After discussion, Commissioner Randy Harrell moved, and Commissioner Sammy Anderson seconded, a motion to recommend the zoning amendment (add data centers/data‑center accessory uses as uses permitted by special exception in section 4.047, M2 special‑impact industrial district) and to relocate the definitions into the zoning resolution’s definitions section. The commission voted unanimously to forward the recommendation to the county legislative body for consideration.

What’s next: the recommendation is advisory to the county legislative body. The commission noted the next county commission opportunity for zoning action is on the county calendar in mid‑July with additional legislative meetings in October; staff will finalize draft language on definitions, testing standards, water and power requirements, and decommissioning provisions before formal hearings.

Quotes

"You can regulate and make sure all of these items … would be considered," County Attorney Mark Williams said as he explained legal constraints and the approach of placing data centers as conditional uses in an industrial district.

"Data centers take a lot of water … the batteries, the lithium ions are fire hazard," Wade Evans, EMA director, said, urging requirements for fire protection, hazmat planning and specialized training for volunteer responders.

Action at a glance

- Motion: Recommend amending Coffee County zoning resolution (section 4.047) to add data centers and data‑center accessory uses as conditional/special‑impact uses in M2 and move definitions to the zoning definitions section.
- Mover: Randy Harrell. Second: Sammy Anderson.
- Outcome: Motion carried; commission voted unanimously to recommend the amendment to the county legislative body.

(Reporting note: The Planning Commission’s recommendation does not itself amend the zoning code; final adoption requires action by the county legislative body.)