Presenter urges moratoria, warns against rushed overlays after Colleton County vote

Grant McClure told the meeting that communities facing large data‑center proposals should consider moratoria to buy time for code updates and public hearings. He described a sequence in Colleton County where a moratorium was adopted and then the county quickly proposed a broad "digital infrastructure overlay," signaling to McClure that rushed processes can undermine public trust.

"They had a special call meeting on a Friday at noon with their planning commission meeting. And then the following Monday, they voted to approve this on 1st reading," McClure said, describing the timeline that prompted local opposition. He recommended that councils use moratoria to pause permits while they write comprehensive ordinances that limit siting in sensitive areas such as conservation easements and the ACE Basin.

McClure framed moratoria as one of four options — including writing strict ordinances or disallowing data centers in sensitive areas — and said moratoria give communities the time to draft enforceable requirements and negotiate community benefits when appropriate.