Chamblee City Council adopts temporary moratorium on data centers

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CHAMBLEE, Ga. - Chamblee city officials enacted a 180-day temporary moratorium Tuesday to halt all incoming applications for new data center developments. 

What we know:

Members of the Chamblee City Council voted Tuesday during their regular meeting to adopt an immediate 180-day moratorium on new data centers. The temporary suspension prevents the city from accepting any new development applications for these facilities through Jan. 16, 2027.

At-Large Councilmember Jimmy Furst spearheaded the measure to give local leaders time to review existing city codes. Officials plan to determine if updated zoning standards are necessary to protect public health, safety and community welfare.

What they're saying:

Councilmember Jimmy Furst emphasized that the city must establish local standards before developers submit project applications.

"Chamblee has a responsibility to plan ahead and ensure our regulations keep pace with emerging forms of development," Furst said. "Data centers can have significant impacts on energy use, water resources, tree canopy, stormwater infrastructure, noise, and nearby neighborhoods. A temporary moratorium gives us the time to carefully evaluate those impacts and establish thoughtful, locally appropriate standards before an application is submitted."

What we don't know:

City officials have not specified when draft revisions to the zoning code will be presented to the public.

Authorities have not announced whether any data center applications were submitted prior to Tuesday's vote.