The regulatory freeze on data centers near Dunwoody and Brookhaven grew this week when neighboring Chamblee's City Council unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on data center development. The action adds a municipal-level block on top of DeKalb County's own countywide moratorium, which runs through March 2027.

Chamblee's moratorium is in effect through Jan. 16, 2027, giving city leaders time to review zoning code and decide whether data centers belong in the 7.9-square-mile city at all. At-Large Councilmember Jimmy Furst, who spearheaded the effort, said on WABE's "Closer Look" on Thursday, Aug. 6, that his personal preference goes further than a pause.

"The prohibition's where my head's at," Furst told host Rose Scott, though he acknowledged the rest of the council does not necessarily agree with a permanent ban.

Furst described Chamblee as "dense, full and built out," noting that despite the city's industrial history and vacant office space making it attractive to data center developers, residents have made their priorities clear: environmental protection and quality of life. He said Chamblee is one of the fastest-growing cities in Georgia and that he would rather see investment in affordable housing, economic development and greenspace.

Perimeter corridor context

Chamblee borders Brookhaven directly and sits within the same Perimeter corridor where data center pressure has been building. DeKalb County commissioners voted 6-1 on July 30 to extend the county's moratorium through March 2027, as we reported that day. That countywide freeze blocks new applications on land near Dunwoody and Brookhaven while the county writes permanent zoning rules.

But the county's effort has hit snags. Commissioners unanimously rejected a draft data center zoning ordinance at their June 23 meeting after roughly a year of deliberation, according to WABE. DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Nicole Massiah, whose district includes land adjacent to Dunwoody and Brookhaven, told 11Alive on July 23 that data centers don't belong near residents. "There's a need for data centers in certain locations, just not in the backyard of District 3," Massiah said, citing unknowns around energy use, water use, pollution and sound.

Chamblee's moratorium expires about two months before DeKalb's countywide freeze, meaning the city will need to decide on permanent rules first or in parallel with the county. Furst said Chamblee is closely monitoring how DeKalb regulates data centers and will make a decision in the best interest of residents.

The next decision point: Jan. 16, 2027, when Chamblee's moratorium expires and the council must either extend the freeze, adopt new zoning rules or let the pause lapse.