{"id":25564,"date":"2026-03-23T15:59:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=25564"},"modified":"2026-03-24T06:27:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T10:27:56","slug":"data-center-prospects-in-lowndes-county-lowndes-county-ga-2026-03-09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2026\/03\/data-center-prospects-in-lowndes-county-lowndes-county-ga-2026-03-09.html","title":{"rendered":"Data Center Prospects in Lowndes County –Lowndes County, GA 2026-03-09"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nSo people can catch up on what is happening with datacenters,\r\nhere is Lowndes County’s astonishingly informative post on the process going forward,\r\nillustrated and annotated with what has already happened.\r\n

\r\nThis post does not mean that I or LAKE or any organization with which I am associated\r\nare in favor of or opposed to everything of anything in the county’s post.\r\nThere are and will be plenty of other posts for such opinions.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[Data<\/a>\r\n
Data Center Prospects in Lowndes County, by Lowndes County, GA, 2026-03-09<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\nData Center Prospects in Lowndes County<\/a><\/H4>\r\n
\r\n

\r\nLowndes County, Georgia — On July 8, 2025, the Lowndes County\r\nBoard of Commissioners approved the rezoning of REZ-2025-11, Coleman\r\nRoad~719 acres from its current C-C (Crossroads Commercial) and CON\r\n(Conservation District) zoning classification to M-1 (Light\r\nManufacturing) and CON (Conservation District) zoning classification\r\nwith the following seven (7) conditions:\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"[5.b.<\/a>\r\n
5.b. REZ-2025-11 Langdale Capital Assets, Coleman Road, ~719 ac, C-C, R-1,<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=25109<\/a>\r\n

\r\nLAKE video: https:\/\/youtu.be\/OKdjvi4wTV4<\/a>\r\n

    \r\n
  1. There shall be no access to Briarberry Drive and Quail Hollow\r\nCircle from the subject property.\r\n
  2. Should a change in use occur where additional transportation\r\nand\/or water\/sewer infrastructure upgrades are required, the\r\nDeveloper will be responsible for the design, any acquisition of\r\nnecessary right-of-way, relocation of utilities, and construction\r\ncosts for the infrastructure improvements.\r\n
  3. All lots shall front interior roads.\r\n
  4. A 200′ undisturbed buffer shall be required along the Northern,\r\nand Southern property lines abutting current Residential Zoning\r\nDistrict boundaries.\r\n
  5. Any lighting located on the property shall be shielded and\r\ndirected to avoid direct illumination of adjacent properties zoned\r\nResidentially.\r\n
  6. Any loudspeakers, paging systems, or electromagnetic\r\ninterference generated on or by uses of the property shall be\r\ndesigned, installed and used such that they are not discernable at\r\nany abutting property line zoned Residentially.\r\n
  7. Correctional Facilities, Transitional Care Facilities, and\r\nKennels with Outdoor Runs shall not be allowed.\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[to<\/a>\r\n
    to be developed into a large warehouse type campus.<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[GLPC<\/a>\r\n
    GLPC recommended approval 4:3 with the seven staff-recommended conditions.<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nIn accordance with Lowndes County’s Unified Land Development Code, a\r\ndata center may be built on parcels that are zoned in accordance\r\nwith seven of the code’s zoning districts to include manufacturing.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nPlease know this is not an automatic approval for a data center to\r\nmove forward. A project the size of a data center, similar to other\r\nindustrial projects would trigger a Development of Regional Impact\r\n(DRI) study. Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) are large-scale\r\ndevelopments that are likely to have regional effects beyond the\r\nlocal government jurisdiction in which they are located. This\r\nprocess provides for the specific impact of a development to be\r\ndetermined and includes both positive and negative considerations.\r\nFurther, it is important to remember that even though a parcel may\r\nbe zoned manufacturing, development conditions related to buffers,\r\nset-backs, water consumption\/discharge, traffic, noise, electricity,\r\ndrainage and other impacts can be conditioned prior to the\r\ndevelopment moving forward and permits being issued. In short, there\r\nis a tremendous amount of due diligence that is required to take\r\nplace in order for a data center to develop in Lowndes County.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nThe next step in the process for any data center that might want to\r\nlocate in Lowndes County on a parcel that is properly zoned would be\r\nfor representatives to schedule and attend a Technical Review\r\nCommittee (TRC) meeting. The Technical Review Committee is comprised\r\nof state and county employees that represent the departments\r\ninvolved in the development process, such as the department of\r\nhealth, utilities, planning and zoning, permitting and inspections,\r\nengineering, fire and rescue and others. From this meeting,\r\nrequirements for developments are conveyed. If representatives\r\nconsidering a data center scheduled one of these meetings, this is\r\nwhere conversations related to requirements addressing water\r\nconsumption\/discharge, buffers, land disturbance, noise and other\r\nissues would be discussed. Permitting and operation of the facility\r\nwould be conditioned upon Lowndes County’s ordinance-based\r\nrequirements being met. Further, additional requirements can also be\r\nconditioned during this process. It is important to note that while\r\nthese meetings are led at the staff level, the Lowndes County Board\r\nof Commissioners frequently attend these meetings to monitor\r\ncommunications and staff directions.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nAt this time, Lowndes County does not have an ordinance that\r\nspecifically addresses requirements for data centers other than\r\ngeneral light manufacturing standards, which the county agrees are\r\nnot adequate. This DOES NOT mean that if project representatives\r\nwished to meet with the TRC prior to ordinance adoption that a\r\nproject would be approved and permitted being that there is not an\r\nordinance in place.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nCurrently, the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has charged\r\nstaff with gathering information from communities in Georgia that\r\nhave experienced both positive and negative impacts from data\r\ncenters. In addition, Commissioners are having conversations with\r\ntheir elected counterparts and the Association of County\r\nCommissioners of Georgia. There is a lot of information being\r\ndiscussed publicly regarding data center impacts. In an effort to\r\nunderstand this information first hand, Lowndes County is planning\r\non making site visits to other projects, continuing conversations\r\nwith interested stake holders-both for and against and reviewing\r\nordinances that have been adopted in other communities that have\r\nfaced challenges associated with data centers.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

    \r\nSpeakers for and against at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),\r\n

    \r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=25097<\/a>\r\n

    \r\nDatacenter meeting at VSU, 2026-02-12:\r\n

    \r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/wwals.net\/?p=69473<\/a>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Unprecedented<\/a>\r\n
    Unprecedented transparency, Need much more due diligience, Datacenter meeting, VSU, Lowndes County, GA 2026-02-17<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n

    \r\nLowndes County shares both the interests and concerns of all\r\ncitizens as it relates to the development of data centers in Lowndes\r\nCounty. It is the intent of the county to move forward with openness\r\nand transparency regarding the development of policy and the\r\naccountability of developers. It would be unfair to say that a\r\ndecision has been made to either allow or prohibit data centers in\r\nLowndes County. There is a lot of research and exploration to be\r\ncompleted prior to the nature of an official policy being drafted.\r\nLowndes County will continue to move forward with public reports\r\nregarding progress to include any official action taken with regards\r\nto engagement by a developer for a project location. At this time NO\r\nplans have been submitted or permits requested or issued for a data\r\ncenter in Lowndes County.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nThe next regularly scheduled meeting of the Lowndes County Board of\r\nCommissioners is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, at 5:30 p.m.,\r\nLowndes County Administrative Building, 325 N Ashley Street,\r\nValdosta. Contrary to reports on social media, there is no agenda\r\nitem for discussion or consideration scheduled for tomorrow evening\r\nregarding data centers or a data center project. Citizens may fill\r\nout a Citizens Wishing to be Heard form prior to the meeting and\r\naddress the Commission at the appropriate time, when called. Forms\r\nare required to be completed and turned into the County Clerk prior\r\nto the meeting being called to order at 5:30 p.m. Please know that\r\nthe Lowndes County Board of Commissioners looks forward to working\r\nwith citizens as the education process moves toward policy\r\ndevelopment.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\nThank you.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

    \r\nThere were five Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, all against datacenters,\r\nat the Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.\r\n

    \r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=25555<\/a>\r\n

    \r\nOne speaker thought datacenters should go out in the woods in the country. I beg to differ.\r\n

    \r\nThe next Lowndes County Commission Regular Session is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 23<\/del> 24, 2026.\r\nOnce again, there is\r\nnothing on the agenda about datacenters<\/a>,\r\nbut there is Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.\r\n

    \r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=25561<\/a>\r\n

    V-2025-07-08<\/a><\/H4>\r\n

    REZ-2025-11 Langdale Capital Assets, Coleman Road, ~719 ac, C-C, R-1, & CON, to M-1 & CON, County Utilities<\/a><\/H4>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Commercial,<\/a>\r\n
    Commercial, Office, and Institutional Zoning Districts<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Industrial<\/a>\r\n
    Industrial and Intensive Zoning Districts<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 13<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 14<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 15<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 16<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 17<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 18<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 19<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 20<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 21<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Page<\/a>\r\n
    Page 22<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Rezoning<\/a>\r\n
    Rezoning Map for Langdale Capital Assets, Inc.<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Zoning<\/a>\r\n
    Zoning Location Map<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Future<\/a>\r\n
    Future Development Map<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[WRPDO<\/a>\r\n
    WRPDO Site Map<\/a>\r\n
    PDF<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    P-2025-06-30<\/a><\/H4>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[4.<\/a>\r\n
    4. REZ-2025-11 Langdale Capital Assets, Coleman Rd C-C R-1 CON to M-1 CON, 2025-06-30 @ GLPC, LAKE video<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Pope<\/a>\r\n
    Pope Langdale spoke for, 2025-06-30 REZ-2025-11 @ GLPC, LAKE video<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Against:<\/a>\r\n
    Against: Dr. Jeana B. Seemann, 4634 Briarberry Drive, 2025-06-30 REZ-2025-11 @ GLPC, LAKE video<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Against:<\/a>\r\n
    Against: Gretchen Quarterman, 6565 Quarterman Road, 2025-06-30 REZ-2025-11 @ GLPC, LAKE video<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Against:<\/a>\r\n
    Against: Jeana Strickland, ???? Briarberry Drive, 2025-06-30 REZ-2025-11 @ GLPC, LAKE video<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Against:<\/a>\r\n
    Against: Windy Scott, 4629 Briarberry Drive, 2025-06-30 REZ-2025-11 @ GLPC, LAKE video<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\"[Against:<\/a>\r\n
    Against: Don Driebelbis, 4629 Rustic Ridge Road, 2025-06-30 REZ-2025-11 @ GLPC, LAKE video<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n -jsq\r\n<\/p>\r\n

    Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today<\/a>!\r\n
    \r\n    \r\nhttp:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/donate<\/a>\r\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"So people can catch up on what is happening with datacenters, here is Lowndes County’s astonishingly informative post on the process going forward, illustrated and annotated with what has already happened. This post does not mean that I or LAKE or any organization with which I am associated are in favor of or opposed to […]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[41,20,88,21,73,449,55],"tags":[13036,11605,10433,13431,13432,11949,13425,2772,2771,8880,8701,8718,8702,13028,8710,13434,12,7,8734,13433,2179,8711,13034,13037,13027,8731,5225,8767,5226,1156,8169,8276,6,8727,13039,58],"class_list":["post-25564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-care","category-law","category-lowndes-county-commission","category-planning","category-safety","category-transportation","category-water","tag-briarberry-drive","tag-c-c","tag-coleman-road","tag-con","tag-conservation-district","tag-crossroads-commercial","tag-datacenter","tag-development-of-regional-impact","tag-dri","tag-foxborough","tag-georgia","tag-health-care","tag-lake","tag-langdale-capital-assets","tag-law","tag-light-manufacturing","tag-lowndes-area-knowledge-exchange","tag-lowndes-county","tag-lowndes-county-commission","tag-m-1","tag-north-valdosta-road","tag-planning","tag-pope-langdale","tag-quail-hollow-circle","tag-rez-2025-11","tag-safety","tag-technical-review-committee","tag-transportation","tag-trc","tag-uldc","tag-unified-land-development-code","tag-us-41","tag-valdosta","tag-water","tag-windy-scott","tag-withlacoochee-river"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p585fK-6Ek","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25564"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25568,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25564\/revisions\/25568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}