COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Coffee County Planning Commission is recommending the County Commission pass a list of regulations and conditions for data centers at its next meeting in October. The regulations covers noise limits, distance requirements, and height limitations.
WATCH Coffee County to vote on data center limits next month
If approved by the full county commission, data centers must be built 500 ft. away from residential districts, places of worship, parks, and schools. The facilities will also be subject to noise constraints. During daytime operations, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., the data centers must not be louder than 67 dBA. At night and weekends, at the property line, noise cannot exceed 57 dBA. County leaders also believe a required landscape buffer will help with noise emitted from centers as well.
Coffee County Mayor Dennis Hunt emphasized the zoning amendment can always be tweaked or adjusted if necessary.
"This is a baseline; as technology evolves in a negative or a positive way, we can address those at any point in the future by amendments, which is what we are doing right now," he said.
The amendments to the zoning ordinance also include a water feasibility study and emergency plans approved by local first responders.
The next Coffee County Planning Commission is scheduled for October 13th. The residents will have an opportunity to speak on the changes at a public hearing.
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