Cherokee County has no rules on the books governing data centers, and county leaders voted this week to freeze any new applications while they write some.
What’s happening: The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to put a 30-day hold on data center applications. No applications are currently pending.
What’s new: Before Monday’s vote, the county had no ordinance specifically addressing data centers. The hold gives county staff time to research and draft one.
“Data centers have been proposed and/or built in neighboring counties and across the state of Georgia in recent years,” Community Development Director Brantley Day said. “Since we do not have any ordinances specifically addressing the use, we feel it is prudent to do the proper research and work with our legal team to develop an ordinance that reflects the vision and future land use of Cherokee County.”
What this means for you: Anyone looking to build a data center in Cherokee County cannot submit an application while the hold is in effect.
The path forward: A public hearing is set for Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Cherokee County Administration Building, 1130 Bluffs Pkwy., Canton. At that hearing, commissioners will consider stretching the hold by 180 days, which would push the deadline to mid-February 2027. “We need ample time to research, learn what has worked and what has not in other jurisdictions, and craft policy that works for Cherokee County,” Day said.
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
