JESUP — The Jesup City Commission voted 4–3 on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to reject a temporary moratorium on large-scale data centers, leaving the city without a development pause while officials prepare permanent regulations.
Mayor Ralph Hickox opposed the moratorium and said he trusts the Wayne County Industrial Development Authority to handle the proposed development responsibly.
The commission’s decision does not approve a data center. It means the city has not temporarily stopped the acceptance or consideration of data-center-related applications and permits while new rules are being developed.
A proposed data-center ordinance is expected to appear on the commission’s next agenda. Jesup holds regular commission meetings at 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, making the next regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 15, at City Hall. “The city publishes its meeting schedule online.”
The vote comes as a potential sale of the Wayne Commerce Center continues to move forward.
The Wayne County Industrial Development Authority approved an agreement giving Atlanta-based SLP Venture III a 12-month option to purchase the industrial property. “Published contract terms”
The property, located at 2520 Waycross Highway, includes approximately 315 acres and sits within Jesup’s southwestern city limits. It has been certified through Georgia’s Ready for Accelerated Development program, which identifies industrial sites that have completed extensive preparation and reviews.
The option gives the developer the right to purchase the property following its evaluation and due diligence. It does not require the company to complete the purchase.
The developer is considering the site for a potential data center but emphasizes that no data center is currently under construction.
No final site plan, construction schedule or confirmed data-center operator has been publicly announced.
The proposed development has faced growing opposition from residents concerned about electricity demands, water use, noise, traffic, emergency services, environmental effects and the number of permanent jobs the project could create. More than 300 people have signed an online petition asking the city to stop large-scale data-center development until independent studies and enforceable regulations are completed.
Residents will have another opportunity to learn about the proposal during a free public information session at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Cracker Williams Recreation Center, located at 245 E. Bay Street in Jesup.
The event will include representatives from Science for Georgia, Satilla Riverkeeper and Altamaha Riverkeeper. Organizers say the discussion will focus on potential public-health, water, energy and environmental effects, followed by a community question-and-answer session. “The meeting is free and open to the public.”
The debate now moves toward the proposed city ordinance and what restrictions Jesup officials may place on any future data-center development.
Should Jesup have paused data-center development until permanent regulations were adopted, or was rejecting the moratorium the right decision?
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
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