The Walker County Data Center Development Standards Study Committee is continuing its review of potential regulations for future data center development, with zoning, noise, utility usage and environmental protections among the issues discussed at its latest meeting.
The committee was created by the Walker County Board of Commissioners as part of the county’s ongoing review of how data centers should be regulated in unincorporated areas. County officials say the committee is examining issues including allowable zoning districts, setbacks, buffers, noise, lighting, environmental impacts and compatibility with surrounding land uses.
Roughly two dozen people attended the committee’s second meeting.
Survey highlights resident concerns
Committee Chair Stephanie Watkins presented results from a recent countywide FlashVote survey. Among the concerns identified by respondents, 69 percent cited increased electricity and water costs as a primary concern.
Watkins also reviewed information submitted by residents and encouraged members of the public to communicate with their district commissioners as the committee develops potential recommendations.
Tax incentives and the potential impact of data centers on the county’s tax base also generated discussion.
District 3 appointee Laura Owsley raised concerns about state tax incentives available through 2031 and discussed how some data center properties could be devalued when facilities are sold.
Committee members discussed requiring permanent buildings instead of temporary modular pods, along with aesthetic standards and equipment audits when facilities are sold.
Noise and environmental impacts
Noise generated by data center operations was another major topic.
District 4 appointee Kenneth Wilson proposed requiring developers to pay for an impact study, while Owsley advocated mandatory environmental studies as part of the approval process.
Owsley also presented results from an independent sound test she conducted at the property line of a data center in a neighboring county. She said the readings exceeded recommended ambient sound levels for both dBA and dBC measurements.
The committee discussed establishing specific limits for both A-weighted and C-weighted decibel levels, along with potential daily fines for violations.
The distinction is important because dBA measurements generally correspond to the way humans perceive sound, while dBC measurements capture more low-frequency noise, including sounds generated by heavy equipment and generators.
Power and water usage
Utility demands were also examined.
District 1 appointee Barney Danks noted that the Tennessee Valley Authority requires facilities using more than five megawatts to participate in peak-demand curtailment programs.
Backup generators were another area of discussion. District 1 appointee Jason Rader proposed limiting generator testing and operation to 10 hours per month.
Planning and Zoning Director Jon Pursley said electricity supply appears to be a greater concern than water usage as newer cooling technologies develop.
Rader reiterated support for requiring closed-loop cooling systems at data centers.
Possible industrial park requirement
Zoning location emerged as another significant issue.
District 4 appointee Travis Middleton, along with Rader and Owsley, discussed restricting data centers to industrial parks and classifying them as heavy industrial uses.
Pursley noted that Walker County currently does not have a heavy industrial zoning classification. Creating one would require action by the Board of Commissioners.
The discussion also raised broader questions about the county’s industrial development standards. Middleton described the current system as lacking consistent guidelines for heavy industry and suggested the county consider broader standards rather than rules applying only to data centers.
Chamber of Commerce President Lacey Smith noted that Walker County only adopted a business license in 2019 and has historically taken a limited regulatory approach.
Decommissioning and facility definitions
The committee also discussed requiring developers to post decommissioning surety bonds to protect the county if a facility is abandoned.
Members said the eventual ordinance will also need clear definitions distinguishing smaller facilities, such as micro-facilities or network repeaters, from large hyperscale data centers.
Walker County currently has a 180-day moratorium on data centers in unincorporated areas while county officials and the study committee work on potential zoning and development standards.
The committee plans to continue reviewing regulations adopted by other communities and will tour an operating data center later this fall.
The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, September 24, at the Walker County Civic Center. The county says the study committee’s meetings are open to the public