Wilson County leaders may have six months to consider ordinances to prevent data centers from being constructed in the county if a moratorium is passed by the County Commission next month.
During a June 22 Wilson County Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, a resolution putting constraints on possible data centers was shelved, and instead proposed a six-month moratorium to be passed by the County Commission while officials meet to research and discuss more long-term solutions.
During the June 15 County Commission meeting, District 18 Commissioner Lauren Breeze briefly mentioned concerns with data centers and said the county needs regulations on them.
“Over the past several weeks, I’ve watched [Nashville Council] try to deal with a proposed large data center next door to the Nashville Zoo,” Breeze said. “I want to avoid being in that situation in Wilson County. So, I reached out to Planning Director (Christopher) Lawless to see what stipulations we have in Wilson County for data centers.”
Wilson County currently does not have any requirements for data centers.
“While data centers are high-value investments, they also are resource hogs for electricity, water and wastewater,” Breeze said.
Resident and farmer Perry Neal spoke at the Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, and thanked county leaders for being proactive on a solution for data centers, and believes the proposed industrial park at Linwood Road two years ago may have set the stage for a data center had it been approved.
“They actually had data centers listed on their paperwork as one of the uses that would have went in there,” Neal said.
Breeze, who attended the June 22 meeting, said that C4 zone property has data centers as an approved use, and that there are multiple C4 lots within the county. Audience members voiced opposition to data centers, one said the generators used can be heard several miles away.
The Wilson County Planning Commission is expected to discuss the moratorium next during its July 17 meeting, then the moratorium may be voted on during the Aug. 17 County Commission meeting.
If the moratorium is passed by the County Commission, County Attorney Mike Jennings has concerns that it may not hold up in court if challenged. Developers have successfully sued municipalities to overturn data center bans.
A committee is expected to be appointed by Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto to research data centers and what potential zoning code changes could be developed.