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Planning commission presented three options for zoning data centers; recommends conditional use permit
Summary
Planning/ zoning commissioners told the Defiance City Council they reviewed options to add data centers and power-generating facilities to the zoning code and recommended allowing them by conditional use permit to ensure neighbor notification and public input.
A zoning commissioner speaking to the Defiance City Council on July 28, 2026, said the planning commission researched data center and power-generating-facility uses beginning in February and circulated background materials in March to inform members. "We did not we do not currently have data center uses listed in our zoning code," the presenter said, explaining the commission evaluated three approaches.
The presenter described three options: listing data centers as a by-right use (requiring only site-plan review and no 200-foot notification), allowing them in manufacturing districts by conditional use permit (which would trigger a 200-foot notice to surrounding property owners under the ORC, newspaper notice and web posting), or creating an overlay district restricting locations. "My recommendation was to utilize conditional use permit for data center and power generation facilities," the presenter said, arguing that the conditional-permit route allows the public an opportunity to comment before the planning commission and council.
