Planning Commission drops October 1 public hearing on data center, asks city to publish timeline and materials

Lancaster City Planning Commission members voted to cancel the public hearing portion of their Oct. 1 meeting on the city’s initial zoning determination for a proposed data center, and they asked staff to make the project schedule and related materials publicly available.

The commission discussed multiple paths for public engagement after staff said City Council and the zoning process were already scheduled to consider the matter. Chris Deltz, identified in a memo as the city’s director of Community Planning and Economic Development, told commissioners that, because the planning commission has no authority over zoning interpretations, the city administration would not participate in the commission’s separate public hearing on the topic. The administration’s memo, received by commissioners the day of the meeting, said the administration understood the commission’s desire to engage but…