File #: 2025-0972    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Ordinance Status: Preliminary Item
File created: 6/25/2025 In control: Board of Commissioners - Zoning Meeting
On agenda: 11/20/2025 Final action:
Title: COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): All Districts Application of the Director of Planning and Sustainability to amend Chapter 27 to Establish a Definition, Regulatory Guidelines, and Development Standards for Data Centers in M (Industrial), M-2 (Heavy Industrial), O-I (Office-Institutional), and O-D (Office-Distribution) zoning districts. This text amendment is County-wide.
Attachments: 1. 2025-0972 Data Centers Nov. 2025 BOC Staff Report TA-25-1247647, 2. DRAFT 3 - Data Centers Text Amendment Ordinance Nov. BOC TA-25-1247647, 3. TA-25-1247647 (2025-0972) Sept. BOC 2025 Staff Report Data Centers, 4. Data Centers Text Amendment Ordinance_draft TA-25-1247647_Sept. 2025, 5. TA-25-1247647 (2025-0972) Sept. PC 2025 Staff Report Data Centers

Public Hearing: YES ? NO ? Department: Planning & Sustainability

SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): All Districts
Application of the Director of Planning and Sustainability to amend Chapter 27 to Establish a Definition, Regulatory Guidelines, and Development Standards for Data Centers in M (Industrial), M-2 (Heavy Industrial), O-I (Office-Institutional), and O-D (Office-Distribution) zoning districts. This text amendment is County-wide.
Body

PETITION NO: D1-2025-0972 TA-25-1247647
PROPOSED USE: Data Centers in M, M-2 & O-I zoning districts.
LOCATION: County-wide.
PARCEL NO.: N/A
INFO. CONTACT: Eva Chauveau, Long Range Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155

PURPOSE:
Application of the Director of Planning and Sustainability to amend Chapter 27 to Establish a Definition, Regulatory Guidelines, and Development Standards for Data Centers in M (Industrial), M-2 (Heavy Industrial), O-I (Office-Institutional), and O-D (Office-Distribution) zoning districts. This text amendment is County-wide.


RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (October 2025) CC-1: Approval; CC-2: Deferral; CC-3: Full-cycle deferral; CC-4: Full-cycle deferral; CC-5: Full-cycle deferral. (August 2025) CC-1: Full-cycle deferral; CC-2: Deferral; CC-3: Full-cycle deferral; CC-4: Denial; CC-5: Denial.

PLANNING COMMISSION: (Nov. 6, 2025) Approval. Sept. 9, 2025) Full-Cycle Deferral.

PLANNING STAFF: (November 2025) Deferral_11.12.205. (September 2025) Approval.

STAFF ANALYSIS: Planning Staff has collaborated with DeKalb County's Watershed Department to address water consumption concerns. Staff has also relied on key information from Georgia Power, Atlanta Regional Commission, Data Center developers, and the public, to ensure that regulations are conducive to the development goals of the County and the community. While the proposed ordinance may not address every potential issue at this time, it establishes a n...

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