New data centers near East Cobb neighborhoods would face 300-foot setbacks, noise limits and a decommissioning bond under draft rules Cobb County released this week.

The proposed code amendments, reported by the Marietta Daily Journal, would require every data center in unincorporated Cobb to obtain a special land use permit from the Board of Commissioners. That ends the current system, in which data centers are allowed by right in light industrial and heavy industrial zones with no commission approval.

Three public hearings are set for October, giving residents their first formal chance to weigh in before a final vote.

The draft sets specific limits. Principal buildings must sit at least 300 feet from property lines next to homes, churches, schools and daycares, and at least 50 feet from non-residential property lines. Building height is capped at 50 feet. Daytime noise cannot exceed 65 decibels. Nighttime noise is capped at 55 decibels. All outdoor lighting must be fully shielded.

Before any data center can open, the county attorney must approve a decommissioning bond. That financial guarantee requires developers to restore the land if operations shut down.

Commissioners told the Marietta Daily Journal the draft needs more work. District 1 Commissioner Keli Gambrill called the proposal "the initial punt" and said she wants stronger residential protections.

"I was quite surprised to see that we were going to allow 50-foot buildings built next to residential, because that to me is part of the community pushback against data centers," Gambrill said.

District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, who represents East Cobb, called the draft "a start" but said the permit requirement will force the commission to review each project individually. In August, when commissioners voted unanimously to extend the data center moratorium, Birrell told the Marietta Daily Journal that the permit process would give the public input and let the commission add project-specific conditions.

The county first imposed the moratorium in February to study data centers while drafting regulations. Commissioners extended it for another six months on Aug. 11, with the new expiration set for Feb. 24, 2027, according to East Cobb News. No data centers have been formally proposed in unincorporated Cobb.

Cobb County Community Development Agency Director Jessica Guinn said in July that the county's 1972 zoning code "gives no consideration" for data centers. She warned that large-scale facilities can strain power and water supplies.