AI-assisted summary

Residents are concerned a proposed 8.1-million-square-foot data center will disrupt the rural area.

The county estimates the project will generate over $118 million in annual tax revenue.

Opponents question the project's economic benefits and potential environmental impact.

Columbia County commissioners approved a zoning ordinance to govern data centers, over residents' objections to both the ordinance and a massive development project that the new law anticipates.

The board's unanimous vote Tuesday enacts limits on data centers intended in part to limit their impact on surrounding property.

But residents in rural Columbia County who prefer peace and quiet say they'll get neither if plans advance to bring an 8.1-million-square-foot data center to White Oak Busines

See Full Page