New Athens zoning amendment addresses potential data center issues

As the controversies surrounding data centers in Alabama get more widespread, the City of Athens is taking proactive steps in regard to zoning issues in the event that the city is approached for such a center.

The City of Athens has not received a request related to a data center, but the city leaders saw a growing trend that communities across the U.S. are dealing with regarding proposed data centers, and many of those communities, including Athens, had zoning ordinances that did not address them.

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Potential issues surrounding data centers

The city issued a statement saying that it is proposing an amendment to its zoning ordinance to address data centers “because not doing so leads to legal uncertainty.”

The city proposes addressing data centers as a conditional use in the manufacturing/heavy industrial zone, meaning they are not automatically allowed in that zone but would have to make a request to locate in that zone.

Conditional use provides an additional level of scrutiny and the ability to apply conditions of use, restricts the location and does not offer a guarantee of approval. 

Amendments to the zoning ordinance are advertised publicly. They start with the Planning Commission where there is a public hearing, and then the Planning Commission sends it to City Council with or without a recommendation. They will then go to the City Council for another public hearing and final action.

The proposed amendment to address data centers is scheduled to appear on the City Council’s agenda on April 27. 

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