Alpharetta, GA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)

UDC § 2.7.2.1 subjects any Data Center use, defined as a building or complex where a substantial portion of the gross square footage houses computer or data processing equipment, to a dedicated set of siting and design standards. Buildings must be at least 20 feet tall, and no data center building may be located within 100 feet of a collector or local roadway, with sight-line studies required to confirm screening from adjacent roads and properties. A 40-foot heavy planted landscape buffer is required along public roadways, though natural topography or preserved vegetation can substitute if the Director finds it provides equivalent screening density, depth, and height, documented with photographs before a certificate of occupancy issues.

Facades facing public roads must avoid undifferentiated surfaces by using at least two listed design elements, such as a change in building height, step-backs, fenestration, or material, and 75 percent of any road-facing elevation must be brick, stone, or another accent material matching the principal building. Exterior lighting must use fully shielded fixtures aimed downward and away from adjacent roads and properties. Chain-link fencing cannot be visible from public roadways, and ground-level or rooftop mechanical equipment and loading areas must be screened, with rooftop equipment hidden behind the building parapet. Noise testing to confirm compliance with the City's Noise Ordinance is required before the Director issues a certificate of occupancy.