SAVANNAH, Ga. — Savannah wants to hear from the public before it writes its first local rules for data centers. On Wednesday the city posted an online survey for people who live, work or own businesses in the city, and it will take comments through Nov. 20.
The plan is a zoning amendment that would treat data centers as their own land use and set development standards tailored to Savannah. City staff are drafting it with Chatham County and the county-city planning agency, the Metropolitan Planning Commission, with a goal of sending it to City Council and recommending adoption in January 2027.
The list of topics on the table is long. The draft could sort facilities into minor, major and adapted reuse data centers, with lighter rules for small, low-impact sites. It could also keep data centers set back from houses, schools, parks, churches and hospitals, and add noise buffers.
Power and water are central. The rules may cap generator use, address how much electricity a site draws, and require water-conserving cooling along with stormwater and wastewater controls. The Savannah Fire Department would review life safety systems and emergency response plans, and owners would need a plan for removing equipment and hazardous materials when a site closes.
Major projects could also be asked to give something back through infrastructure upgrades or reinvestment in the community. Mayor Van Johnson has framed the effort as a test of what the city’s infrastructure can handle and where growth starts to hurt neighborhoods.
A draft ordinance is due out in November for review. Hearings before the planning commission and City Council will be announced later, and the survey is posted at savannahga.gov/datacenters.
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