BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
Current Zoning Resolution Silent on Cryptocurrency, Battery Energy Storage, and Data Processing Centers
CLINTON, Tenn. — Anderson County Commissioners are expected to consider three proposed amendments to the county’s zoning rules during their regularly scheduled meeting on June 15.
The proposed changes would address cryptocurrency mining facilities, battery energy storage sites and data processing centers. County officials say the current Anderson County Zoning Resolution, first adopted in 1977, does not specifically address those types of industries.
Because the resolution is currently silent on those uses, any permit application for one of those facilities in the unincorporated parts of Anderson County would be reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals, which would have to make a judgment call on the request.
County Mayor Terry Frank said the amendments are meant to give the county clearer standards before any potential project is proposed.
“These amendments do not mean any of these specific industries are locating here and currently there are no applicants or planned projects in the unincorporated area of Anderson County,” Frank said. “But without the amendments, Anderson County is extremely limited on what we can do to ensure the community is safeguarded should one of these industries seek to build in the unincorporated area of Anderson County.”
The proposed amendments would add several requirements for future applicants, including a minimum property size of eight acres, written assurance that power is available, confirmation that water and sewer service would be adequate, building setbacks, sound limits, buffer screening, cleanup surety, and requirements for disposal of debris, equipment and materials.
The amendments would also limit those uses to industrial zones.
Frank said some other jurisdictions have considered moratoriums on data centers to allow more time to study possible safeguards. She said she has requested a legal opinion from the county law director about the moratorium process in Anderson County, in case commissioners want additional time to review the issue.
The proposed amendments were recommended by the Anderson County Planning Commission. County officials say the zoning update is intended to address industries that were not a consideration when the original zoning resolution was adopted nearly 50 years ago.
