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Council enacts one-year moratorium on data centers, sends matter to planning staff
Summary
Council unanimously approved first reading of a one-year moratorium (ordinance 2026-21) on data-center development to allow time for study and coordination with county/state actions, with exemptions for projects that already have final approvals. Council directed planning staff to study definitions and scope.
On first reading council adopted Ordinance 2026-21, a one-year moratorium on data-center construction and permitting. The sponsor said the pause is intended to provide time for fact-finding and to avoid acting on inaccurate information; the moratorium includes an exemption for projects that have already received final approvals to avoid legal exposure.
Councilors discussed the ordinance’s scope (defining "building," "dedicated space within a building" and campus definitions) and whether new small-scale "node" or in-home pilot projects would be affected. One member asked whether the moratorium would cover residential mini data sites; councilors agreed the moratorium blocks permitting and that planning staff should follow up and that the planning commission should be engaged.
