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Birmingham council sets hearings on data centers and zoning-map changes

Birmingham City Council · February 3, 2026

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Summary

The Birmingham City Council on Feb. 3 set public hearings for March 3 on a proposed temporary suspension for new data centers and for March 31 on a zoning-map amendment covering the North Side/South Side framework plan; council also asked staff for a progress update ahead of the data-centers hearing.

The Birmingham City Council on Feb. 3 voted to set two public hearings: one for March 3 to consider a temporary suspension on data centers in the city, and another for March 31 to consider an ordinance amending the city's zoning map in line with the North Side/South Side framework plan (Case ZAC2025-11).

Council president Alexander said the March 3 hearing followed additional material that went to the Planning and Zoning Commission and that the council wanted to make that information available to the public. "This is a motion where we're setting a public hearing to consider a temporary suspension on data centers," Alexander said as the council moved to schedule the hearing.

An unnamed council member (Speaker 11) asked the administration for a detailed status update from city staff on the research and timeline the staff has completed so far. "I'd like to have a detailed update about where city staff is with this research, at this point in time, what's been accomplished, and what they think that their timeline is needed to complete their research," the councilor said. The council president agreed the staff update would be provided before the hearing so the public could be fully informed.

The item to set the March 31 zoning hearing passed after the clerk read Case ZAC2025-11, which covers proposed changes to zone district boundaries for properties within the North Side/South Side framework plan. Council president Alexander announced that the zoning hearing was set and that Council recorded eight affirmative votes with one member away or extended.

The council did not adopt any ordinance at the Feb. 3 meeting; both items were scheduling actions to allow public testimony and additional review. The council instructed staff to publish hearing notices and to provide the requested staff research update ahead of the March 3 data-centers hearing.

What happens next: the council will hold the public hearings on March 3 (data centers) and March 31 (zoning map amendment) in Council Chambers, with official notices to be published prior to those dates.