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Linn County staff prepare data-center zoning language as developers, residents raise water, power and farmland concerns
Summary
Planning and Development Director Charlie Nichols told the Board that draft zoning language for data centers will be brought to the Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 17 after a public briefing; commissioners and a public commenter flagged power and water use and possible loss of prime farmland.
Charlie Nichols, Linn County’s planning and development director, told the Board of Supervisors that staff will present draft zoning language for data centers to the Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 17 after an initial briefing this week.
Nichols said he gave a general presentation to commissioners and that the Nov. 17 meeting will include draft ordinance language for review and a possible recommendation to the Board. "We do have a a data center developer that wants to build in Linn County," Nichols said, adding that the county currently has no explicit data-center zoning code.
Commissioners and a member of the public raised concerns about the resource demands and siting choices for such facilities. Nichols summarized the P&Z discussion as focused on "water and power usage," and noted public worries that some facilities could locate on prime farmland. He also recounted a public attendee's citation of a news report that "their electricity rates have increased 257%," while cautioning "it's hard to link it directly to data center power consumption."
Nichols said staff will work to align public outreach with zoning work and expects strong public attendance at the Nov. 17 Planning & Zoning meeting. Communications staff have created a dedicated webpage about data centers in unincorporated Linn County and will post draft language and meeting notices as they become available.
Separately, Nichols said Alliant Energy has indicated renewed interest in identifying sites for a natural-gas plant outside the previously discussed Fairfax site. He told the Board that gas-fired plants are currently handled through conditional-use permits but there are "no specific development regulations around natural gas plants," and recommended evaluating tailored zoning regulations if Alliant proceeds.
The Board did not vote on any ordinance at the meeting. Next steps: staff will draft ordinance language, publish it on the county web page and present it to the Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 17 for public review and a recommendation to the Board.
