Effingham County delays vote on OpenAI data center site plan

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. (WTOC) - A crowded room of Effingham County residents and local leaders gathered on Election night expecting a vote on OpenAI’s proposed AI data center campus. Instead, commissioners pushed pause.

The Effingham County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to postpone a decision on the site plan for “Project Camellia”, following sharp exchanges between commissioners and developers over residential protections, earthen berms, and environmental impacts.

Before commissioners began their debate, residents lined up at the microphone during the public hearing portion of the meeting, expressing continued frustration over a perceived lack of transparency surrounding the project.

“Until y’all start being transparent, until y’all can start answering some questions, I’m going to be up here each and every week,” one person told the board.

Revised Site Plans and Project Reductions

During the meeting, Rich Modliszewski, a representative for project developer Octans GA LLC, presented an updated site plan. While early conceptual plans showed four large buildings, the formal layout now features six compute buildings across two designated project areas:

• Area 3: Four 471,000-square-foot buildings, a 100,000-square-foot warehouse, a 75,000-square-foot operations office, and a 300-foot natural wooded buffer separating the site from northern residential properties.
• Area 4: Two 471,000-square-foot buildings, with a 300-foot wooded buffer along Hodgeville Road.

Modliszewski outlined several project reductions, stating the overall campus buildout was scaled back from an original 30-million-square-foot proposal to roughly three to four million square feet, with the total number of buildings cut from an initial 30 down to six.

He also noted projected water consumption was reduced from 100,000 gallons per day down to 30,000 gallons per day using a closed-loop cooling system, and asserted that 1,500 morning and afternoon daily vehicle trips would be taken off local roads compared to previous industrial estimates. The proposed building heights, however, increased from 35 feet to 42 feet.

Modliszewski maintained that the formal engineering plans meet all current standards under Effingham County’s existing I-1 (Industrial) zoning.

Commissioners Demand Enforceable Protections

Despite those reductions, the presentation sparked intense pushback from commissioners seeking enforceable guarantees.

Commissioner Roger Burdette zeroed in on Area 4 along Hodgeville Road, pressing Modliszewski to commit on the record to constructing an additional 20-foot earthen berm inside the buffer zone to shield nearby homes from noise and light.

When Modliszewski said he could not commit without consulting the development team, tensions escalated.

“That’s currently planned as a variable screening buffer, and we’re going to do whatever is allowed in that space to ensure that—” Modliszewski said.

“That’s not what we discussed. You’re not going to say we’re getting a 20-foot berm there?” Burdette asked.

“I’m not saying we are or aren’t,” Modliszewski responded.

Modliszewski pushed back, stating that developers had followed every legal standard required by the county.

“[We] did submit a site plan that is in complete conformance with your codes and—” Modliszewski began.

“We’re following precedent. I’m not asking you a question, I’m making a statement,” Burdette interrupted.

“I understand your request, but I’m not able to—” Modliszewski said.

“You came ill-prepared tonight. I think you guys should have been a lot better prepared,” Burdette said.

Burdette, who noted he supports the economic potential of the data center, insisted that protecting surrounding neighborhoods must come first before he could cast an affirmative vote.

“I put so much into this. I have to look these people... You might not agree with this, but I have to look everybody in the eyes to say it’s safe at the end of the day. And I am very uncomfortable right now,” Burdette said.

Commissioner Beth Helmly raised additional concerns regarding electrical demand, cooling water sources, and wetland mitigation. Helmly questioned the exact acreage of wetlands that would be permanently disrupted after hearing an additional 1.18 acres could be impacted.

“I just feel like there’s not enough time to make a decision,” Helmly said. “I don’t have a problem—I’m not sitting here telling everybody sitting in this room that I won’t vote for this one day. But I do not feel comfortable voting for it tonight.”

What’s Next

Following a brief recess, commissioners voted unanimously to table the site plan approval until their regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Commissioners stated the delay will give developers time to return with firm answers regarding wetland impacts and written assurances that the 20-foot berm will be built along Hodgeville Road.

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