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Santa Rosa schedules first hearing on proposed one-year moratorium for large-scale data centers amid mixed public input
Summary
The county set a July 9 public hearing on a one-year moratorium for large-scale data centers. Residents and local tech industry speakers offered conflicting views about water, infrastructure and legal risk; the board pulled park amendments for negotiations and deferred formal actions to Thursday.
The Santa Rosa County commission set the first of two statutorily required public hearings on a proposed one-year moratorium for large-scale data centers and large-load customer facilities on July 9 at 08:30 a.m., Chairman Baker said.
The announcement prompted multiple public forum speakers, who offered sharply different views. Bill Cody, a Gulf Breeze tech executive, urged a permanent ban and said a 12-month moratorium is "unnecessary and basically kicking the can down the road," citing water, noise and power impacts and referencing a 57-page Earthjustice opinion dated 06/11/2026 that, he said, supports local denial authority. "With proven adverse effects to water, land, noise pollution, and absolutely 0 economic benefit to citizens once construction is completed, large scale data centers represent a clear and present danger to the health, safety, and well-being of Santa Rosa County residents and should be banned permanently," Cody said.
Other residents asked for a shorter pause. Cindy Smith Pace asked why the board chose 12 months rather than six and urged staff to consider land-development updates and performance standards to reduce exposure under the Bert Harris Act. "Why can't we do 6 months instead of 12 months?" Smith Pace asked, requesting clarification from county counsel and staff.
John Zimonyak of East Milton voiced conditional support for a one-year moratorium based on the county's water-resource projections. "Every one of these water districts shows a deficit just with what we're projecting, let alone a data center," Zimonyak said, arguing the county could not support a large-scale data center on water resources alone.
Chairman Baker and staff repeatedly emphasized the moratorium process will include a second, statutorily required hearing and that staff will return with analysis. No formal vote on the moratorium occurred at the agenda-review meeting; the item and related materials were moved to the commission's regular/consent agenda for Thursday for formal consideration and any vote.
