Lee County planning commission recommends Technology Overlay District to guide data centers and other tech projects

The Lee County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a text amendment establishing a Technology Overlay District, petition 25PC79, and will forward the recommendation to the County Board for further action.

The overlay would not change underlying zoning or tax status but would operate like a special-use permit: applicants for large technology projects such as data centers or commercial-scale solar would petition for the overlay and, if granted, the county could attach project-specific conditions that would be enforceable.

Alice, Lee County zoning administrator, introduced the proposal and said, "Tonight, we're discussing the Technology Overlay District. I have sent you the proposed ordinance change, what the county is considering." She told the commission the intent is to make Lee County more competitive for industry that needs transmission access while allowing the county to set conditions for individual projects.

"This technology overlay district is gonna act just like a special use," Alice said, adding that the overlay would allow uses on agricultural and industrial parcels only after the overlay permit is requested and approved. "The underlying district won't change."

Commission members focused much of their questioning on resource impacts for large facilities, especially data centers. Chuck Beckman, a commission member, thanked staff and warned about resource demands, saying some facilities can be heavy water users: "I don't know about this one in particular, but there are some who use up to 300,000 gallons a day to cool what they need to cool." Alice said the draft ordinance would allow the commission and county to examine water and energy availability during the public-hearing process and to set permit conditions.

The proposed code directs commercial solar energy facilities to comply with the county's existing solar ordinance in addition to obtaining the Technology Overlay District permit if the overlay is not already in place. Alice told the commission that if a data center had rooftop solar, the county would treat the data center and the solar facility as separate permits so that issues affecting one use could be addressed without affecting the other.

Commissioners also asked about light pollution and shielding; Alice said outdoor lighting would be required to be shielded and directed downward. Commissioners discussed alternatives for cooling and offsetting resource use, including pairing data centers with renewable generation and collecting floodwater for limited onsite use, which staff described as a possible mitigation but not a full supply solution.

The commission voted on a motion to recommend approval. The roll-call vote recorded affirmative votes from Amy Palmer, Chris Jones, Emily Pratt and Chuck Beckman; the motion carried. Alice said she would forward the commission's recommendation to the County Board and would include the commission—s water-use concerns in the submittal. She noted the County Board typically holds text amendments for one month, so final approval would not occur at the next meeting if the board follows that procedure.

The commission did not take additional formal actions beyond the recommendation; specific conditions and any final approvals will be determined by subsequent hearings at the County Board and at project-level public hearings if and when applicants seek the overlay permit.