Board of Commissioners, March 3, 2026
Votes on Revised emergency moratorium on data centers (13A), passed
What happened
The Newton County Board of Commissioners approved several land-use items at its March 3, 2026 meeting, most notably CUP25-000015 approving an upholstery home-occupation business at 661 Dukes Road (with added conditions barring signage and restricting site access), and NTL25-00002…
- Jurisdiction
- Newton County, GA
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- March 3, 2026
- Decisions
- 15 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Voted, passed
Projects in this meeting (3)
Each is its own project; some span multiple hearings661 Dukes Road
ApprovedRevised emergency moratorium
Approved2765 Access Road
Awaiting final voteFree sample: decision 1 of 15
Work session on draft UDO amendments for convenience stores and data centers
Staff presented proposed UDO amendments. Convenience store ordinance (Section 510.200) adds separation requirements: no convenience store within two miles of another, max two per intersection situated diagonally, clarified 5,000 sq ft limit, lighting, and 8-ft 95% opacity screening. New data center ordinance (Section 510.205) proposes minimum 300-acre lot, 1,000 ft from residential, 100-ft buffer, noise limits (60 dB day, 50 dB night), utility strain verification, height cap of 75 ft, prohibition on evaporative cooling. No vote taken; commissioners requested many additions.
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
The Newton County Board of Commissioners approved several land-use items at its March 3, 2026 meeting, most notably CUP25-000015 approving an upholstery home-occupation business at 661 Dukes Road (with added conditions barring signage and restricting site access), and NTL25-00002…
Key Decisions (15)
Work session on draft UDO amendments for convenience stores and data centers
CSRA Probation Services Inc. contract renewal - Magistrate Court
CSRA Probation Services Inc. contract renewal - Probate
Insolvency list - removal of uncollectible taxes 2014-2018
Conditional Use Permit for upholstery business at 661 Dukes Road
Conditional Use Permit for wireless telecommunications tower at 12011 Brownbridge Road
Rezoning at 495 Bates Road from A to AR
Conditional Use Permit for office with outside storage at 2765 Access Road
MOU Newton County Fire Services and Public Safety Cadets
Snapping Shoals EMC contract - Newton Factory Bridge Campground
Revised emergency moratorium on data centers (13A)
Revised emergency moratorium on convenience stores (13B)
Sunbelt Builders Inc. contract - Fleet/Public Works renovation for EMA
Cornish Creek Water Treatment Plant upgrades presentation
William Street project - re-signature for JIFA loan
Zoning Changes (1)
Development Activity (4)
Dankel Concrete Cutting office and outside storage
Commercial
Sean Flynn upholstery home occupation
Commercial
T-Mobile wireless telecommunications tower at Brownbridge Road
Infrastructure
Cornish Creek Water Treatment Plant upgrades
Infrastructure
Market Signals (7)
Infrastructure
Newton County is upgrading Cornish Creek water plant from 25…
Commercial Demand
Emergency moratoriums on both data centers and convenience stores were…
Infrastructure
Draft data center ordinance proposes strict standards (300-acre minimum lot,…
Who Spoke (18)
On the record: 2 staff members, 2 attorneys, 2 applicants, 2 witnesses, and 4 members of the public.
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