Roswell has blocked new data centers from being built in the city while officials work on rules to govern them. The ban has been in place since January and is set to expire June 26, though city staff plans to ask for another extension.
What’s happening: The Mayor and City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 12 to stop new data center applications from moving forward. At the time, Roswell had no rules specific to data centers in its zoning code. Data centers already operating in the city are not affected, and neither are projects that already had legal development rights before the ban took effect.
The timeline:
- Jan. 12: Mayor and Council unanimously approve a 90-day ban and direct staff to begin writing rules.
- March 23: Mayor and Council approve a 95-day extension, moving the expiration date to June 26.
- May 19: The Planning Commission hears a staff presentation based on a 27-page research document and a proposed framework for restricting data centers in the city.
- June 4: The Planning Commission holds a public hearing on data centers and their potential effects, then defers the item to its June 16 meeting.
What’s new: Staff plans to ask for a third extension. A council agenda item originally set for June will be pushed back, with the Mayor and Council now expected to take up the issue in late July or August.
What staff is reviewing: City staff is looking at zoning and development standards, infrastructure and utility capacity, environmental effects, noise and lighting concerns, and whether data centers are compatible with surrounding land uses.
What this means for you: No new data center can apply to be built in Roswell until the ban is lifted or new rules are in place. There are no data center projects currently proposed in the city.
The path forward: The Planning Commission meets again June 16. The Mayor and Council are expected to consider the issue in late July or August.
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
