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Commissioners add discussion of ordinance, resolution to limit data centers on certain county lands
Summary
A commissioner moved to add a future discussion on a resolution and ordinance that would restrict data centers on county-owned or specific zoned lands; planning staff said the proposal is a zone-specific prohibition, not a moratorium, and would require a planning-code amendment and DLCD notices if pursued.
A commissioner successfully moved on Aug. 6 to add a future agenda item for discussion of a resolution and zoning ordinance aimed at limiting data center development on specified lands, including county-owned properties.
The commissioner said the request grew from constituent outreach and concern about potential data-center development on farmland and public lands. "This is really just from the way that we communicate, and I'm not asking for any decisions today, but just around data centers," the commissioner said. Planning staff cautioned that the proposed approach is a zone-specific prohibition and not a moratorium, and that adopting such changes would require the board to direct staff to prepare an amendment to the zoning code and run it through the planning commission and state notifications.
Staff noted there are two potential tracks: (1) a zoning-code amendment that requires the full procedural review, or (2) a county-land-specific policy that could be adopted more quickly. The board agreed to place the item on a meeting in about two weeks for further review and to distribute the draft ordinance and resolution to commissioners beforehand.
