City planning staff asks for 9‑month extension of interim overlay to study data‑center zoning

City planning staff recommended the Housing and Growth Committee approve a nine‑month extension of Interim Development Control (IDC) Overlay District 89, which was established in February to allow time for a zoning study specifically addressing data centers.

Sophie Ferris Rowe of the Department of City Planning and Engagement told the committee the overlay encompasses more than 22,000 parcels and spans six base zoning districts that currently allow indoor‑storage uses—an interpretation planners say has been used to process data‑center proposals. Rowe said the city manager directed a zoning study in January 2026 to establish a definition for data centers in the Cincinnati zoning code, research best practices from peer cities, and produce recommended code amendments.

Rowe emphasized the IDC does not halt development but requires additional review by the City Planning Commission for building permits and certificates of compliance or appropriateness for uses the department interprets as data centers; that extra review provides public notice and a forum that standard building‑permit pathways do not. Planning staff told the committee they expect the study to be completed within a year and that a Planning Commission recommendation on a nine‑month extension was made on 2026‑03‑06.

Committee members praised the methodical approach and asked about regional coordination and whether industry representatives had contacted the city. Planning staff said a "couple" permit applications are expected to go to Planning Commission soon, indicating staff contact with applicants. The committee did not record a final committee vote on the IDC extension in the transcript excerpt; planning staff urged the extension to avoid permits being submitted before the study reaches formal recommendations.