Commission asks staff to draft possible special-use-permit requirement for data centers

At the Aug. 13 meeting a commissioner asked staff to prepare a code amendment to define "data center" and to consider whether future data centers should require a special-use permit before building permits are issued.

Planning staff said data centers are not currently defined in Bullhead City's code and that if a definition were added it would be presented to the commission and council so they could decide whether data centers are allowed by right in industrial districts or should be a conditional use. "If our code gets amended to add a definition for that and the use, that would be at the time to discuss with council and with the commission whether it's by right or by conditional use permit," staff said.

A commissioner moved to add discussion of a data-center special-use-permit requirement to the next meeting's agenda; the motion was seconded and the clerk recorded six votes in favor. Staff said it will draft proposed language and return to the commission for deliberation and, if appropriate, forward to council.

What happens next: Staff will draft a code amendment adding a definition for data centers and a recommended permitting approach; the commission will consider that draft at a future meeting before any change is presented to council.