Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): 3 and 6
Application of PCC-DeKalb, LLC c/o Steven L. Jones, Taylor Duma, LLC for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow utility structures for the transmission or distribution of services in the RSM (Small Lot Residential Mix) and MU-1 (Mixed-Use Low Density) zoning districts, the Bouldercrest Overlay District, Tier 5, and the Soapstone Historic District, 4280 & 4358 Loveless Place; and, 2281 Pineview Trail.
Body
PETITION NO: D1-2025-0970 SLUP-25-1247635
PROPOSED USE: To allow utility structures for the transmission or distribution of services.
LOCATION: 4280 and 4358 Loveless Place; 2281 Pineview Trail, Ellenwood, GA 30294
PARCEL NO. : 15 011 01 045; 15 011 01 062; 15 011 01 263
INFO. CONTACT: John Reid, Sr. Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of PCC-DeKalb, LLC c/o Steven L. Jones, Taylor Duma, LLC for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow utility structures for the transmission or distribution of services in the RSM (Small Lot Residential Mix) and MU-1 (Mixed-Use Low Density) zoning districts, the Bouldercrest Overlay District, Tier 5, and the Soapstone Historic District.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (June 2026) Two-Cycle Deferral. (August 2025) Denial.
PLANNING COMMISSION: (July 7, 2026) Pending. (Sept. 9, 2025) Denial.
PLANNING STAFF: (July 2026) Denial. (November 2025) Denial. (September 2025) 30-Day Deferral.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The subject properties fall within Tier 5 of the Bouldercrest Overlay District (BOD), the Soapstone Historic District, and the MU-1 and RSM underlying zoning districts. The applicant's site plan depicts a one (1) million square foot "Data Center" campus with an outdoor electric substation on a 95-acre site. While the BOD land use table does not include a "Data Center" land use category, the most similar land use is "electric transformer station" and “office and accessory storage.” An electric transformer station is defined as a Communication-Utility in the Zoning Ordinance. A Utility further being defined in Article 9 of Chapter 27 as “any public or private agency that provides for the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity, gas, water, stormwater, wastewater, communication, transportation, or other similar service, excluding those utilities that are public uses.” Such a use is not allowed in Tier 5 as noted in the BOD Overlay District Table of Uses listed in subsection 3.39.8 of the Zoning Code. Similarly, “office and accessory storage” uses are not allowed in Tier 5 of the BOD. Pursuant to Section 7.4.6 of the Zoning Code, staff finds that the proposed use does not satisfy the applicable standards for approval of a special land use permit. Specifically, the proposed one (1) million square foot data center campus is not compatible with adjacent and nearby residential land uses. The property falls within a Suburban (SUB) Character Area of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan, which calls for preservation of established subdivisions and small-scale infill such as cottage court development, accessory housing units and other innovative housing types to increase housing choice and income diversity without significantly altering established neighborhood development patterns (Suburban Character Area, Land Use Compatibility, page 41). The properties fall within Tier 5 of the BOD. Tier 5 is a predominantly single-family residential area, and the purpose and intent of the BOD is to protect established residential areas from encroachment of incompatible or adverse uses, and to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of DeKalb County (Sec 3.39.1.A.18). Tier 5 prohibits all office, transportation, storage (including self-storage, storage yard, and warehousing and storage”), service, commercial, and industrial uses, as those uses due to their intensity and/or form are deemed to not be compatible with single-family residential uses. While "utility structures" are allowed as a SLUP in Tier 5 of the Bouldercrest Overlay (BOD), Staff’s opinion is that the proposed planned data center as noted on the applicant‘s site plan appears to require a much larger building footprint than traditional utility structures and a much larger strain on community resources (electricity and water) to operate than standard utility structures. Staff further finds that the applicant has not provided sufficient information to demonstrate that the proposed buffers, open space, site design, and operational measures would adequately mitigate impacts to adjacent residential properties. In addition, the applicant has not demonstrated that the proposed use would have minimal impacts on public services, utilities, and environmental resources, including potential impacts associated with the discharge or disposal of water system. Correspondence from Clayton County Board of Commissioners attached herein states that Clayton County has not given permission for the applicant to use Clayton County water or to access Old Field Road (see attached). Additionally, Staff has received comments from opposition to this project related to water and electricity, access from Old Field Road, and archaeological/historical concerns (see attached email). Based on the above information, Staff finds that the application does not appear to comply with the Suburban (SUB) Character Area of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan or the purpose and intent of Tier 5 of the Bouldercrest Overlay District (BOD). Specifically, the proposed use does not satisfy the applicable criteria set forth in Section 7.4.6, including • Section 7.4.6(A), regarding adequacy of the site for the proposed use, buffers, and other applicable zoning requirements; • Section 7.4.6(B), regarding compatibility with adjacent properties and land uses; • Section 7.4.6(C), regarding adequacy of public services, facilities, and utilities; • Section 7.4.6(G), regarding consistency with the requirements of the zoning district classification in which the use is proposed to be located; and • Section 7.4.6(H), regarding consistency with the policies of the comprehensive plan. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the Planning Department that the application be “Denied”.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: (July 7, 2026) Pending. (September 9, 2025) Denial 7-1-0. Commissioner Moore moved, Commissioner Murphy seconded for denial, per Staff recommendation. Commissioner Patton opposed; Commissioner Costello was not present for this vote.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: (June 2026) Two-Cycle Deferral (6-0-1), to allow the data center text amendment to be approved and the moratorium to expire to allow a more thorough review. (August 2025) Denial 6-3-0) Council discussion included concerns that the use was in the middle of a single-family residential area and that there were no adopted regulations for utility structures or data centers.