Cannon Falls planning commission recommends conditional-use rules for proposed data centers

Cannon Falls planning commissioners on July 21 recommended that the City Council adopt a zoning text amendment to allow data centers as a conditional use in the I-2 (industrial) district, while adding staff-recommended clarifications and regulatory references. The commission made the recommendation after a work-session discussion and a public-hearing period with no public speakers.

The amendment would bring data centers explicitly into the city code as a use eligible for a conditional‑use permit, with staff edits added to clarify oversight bodies and correct typographical errors. “Data centers do need to be brought into existence within our city code,” Staff member Shelly said during the introduction to the hearing. Shelly later told the commission the recommended edits would add the Public Utility Commission to lists of oversight or…