Commission votes to send proposed IT/data‑center conditional‑use language to county for public hearing

The Albany County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to send staff’s proposal to make information‑technology facilities (including large data centers) subject to conditional‑use review to the Board of County Commissioners for a public hearing.

Planning staff (S9) warned that big data centers can have significant infrastructure demands: "there's an ever growing demand for large data centers... they use a lot of power and of water for cooling," and proposed treating large facilities as conditional uses so impacts (power, water, traffic, emissions) can be reviewed as part of a public process.

Commissioners debated whether to identify the use by activity (information‑technology/data centers) or by impacts (facilities that exceed a threshold of power or water use). One commissioner suggested leaving the general term in the land‑use table while developing technical thresholds: "I think we should get it on the books and create…make sure that they're conditional uses," and then work on standards (S9). Another commissioner proposed narrowing the amendment to require conditional‑use review in industrial zones only; that friendly amendment was accepted and adopted by voice vote.

The formal action set the planning amendment for a public hearing and directed staff to prepare notice and materials for county commissioner consideration. Staff said it will research regulatory approaches and report back with recommended conditions and thresholds.

What happens next: The proposed change will be noticed and go to a public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners; if approved, future applications for large IT facilities will require conditional‑use review and enforceable conditions addressing power, water and other impacts.

Sources: Staff presentation (S9); commission motion and voice vote (meeting record).