AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Meeting at the committee level Tuesday, Augusta commissioners took no action on proposed data center rules.

Instead, they sent the issue to the full commission with a deadline looming.

The current moratorium on new data centers expires July 21. If the full commission does not act by then, the freeze ends automatically.

The debate comes after months of complaints from neighbors about a proposed data center near Haynes Station, where residents have raised concerns about noise, lighting, and property values.

Planning Director Lisa Cameron said the proposed ordinance would place future data centers exclusively in heavy industrial zoning districts. She described it as a “living document” that can be updated over time as technology and community concerns change.

The Planning Commission did not recommend adopting the ordinance. Instead, it suggested the Augusta Commission consider extending the moratorium to allow more public discussion.

Commissioners debated whether to extend the moratorium by 30 or 60 days but could not agree. Both options would push a final decision to the August 18 commission meeting.

Cameron said staff’s recommendation remained adoption of the ordinance but said staff would support whatever direction the commission chooses.

Commissioners indicated they want any final ordinance to remain comprehensive — covering emergency management, utilities, fire, and engineering — rather than narrowed to zoning alone.

The proposed rules would apply only to future projects. The QTS data center already under construction on Gordon Highway would not be affected.

The full commission meets July 21 at 2 p.m. at the Municipal Building.

Zoning ordinance rewrite

Also as commissioners met Tuesday, Augusta’s Planning and Development Department asked for up to $68,368 more to finish the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite, along with a deadline extension pushing final adoption to November or December 2026.

The request moves to the full Augusta Commission next week. The additional funding would extend the contract with consultant White and Smith, LLC through the end of the year.

Cameron told commissioners Augusta’s current zoning ordinance dates to 1963 and has been amended piecemeal over the decades rather than comprehensively rewritten. She said after reviewing the consultant’s work, staff realized much of the existing language was simply being carried over rather than tailored to Augusta’s current needs.

Public outreach had been more limited than expected. Feedback from a recent meeting at Diamond Lakes showed many residents were unaware the zoning ordinance was even being rewritten.

The bulk of the additional funding — more than $34,000 — would go toward community engagement, including two more public workshops and a community survey.

The rest would cover an official zoning map and a future land use map, which were cut when the original contract was negotiated down from roughly $450,000 to about $327,000.

Planning and Development has since determined it does not have the staffing resources to complete that work internally.

Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle urged the department to include the Home Builders Association, commercial builders, and developers in the upcoming workshops, saying zoning changes can ultimately increase costs for homebuyers.

Adoption hearings are scheduled for Nov. 2 before the Planning Commission and Nov. 17 before the Augusta Commission.

Other items moved to full commission

Several additional items passed out of committee Tuesday without discussion and are set to go before the full Augusta Commission next week.

Augusta’s Housing and Community Development Department received approval to submit its FY2026 Annual Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, representing $3,852,829.39 in federal investment in housing and services for low- and moderate-income residents. The plan is due to HUD by Aug. 16. Approval also authorizes the Mayor to sign all required federal documents to finalize the submission.

Commissioners also approved a change order under RFP 25-242 to purchase an additional 50 light fixtures and accessories for the Charles B. Webster Detention Center in the amount of $54,400.

A request from Sheriff Eugene Brantley to purchase a $47,995 solar-powered mobile surveillance trailer for downtown Augusta also moved forward. The trailer is intended to fill coverage gaps in parking lots, side streets, and areas where permanent cameras are not in place as part of the Downtown Camera Project. The unit is mobile and can be relocated as needed. It includes three PTZ dome cameras, military-grade encryption, and is certified to operate on both Verizon and FirstNet/AT&T networks.