Discussions about data centers aren’t new in Florida. While some local governments are welcoming these massive centers, others are pushing pause on the issue.
Zephyrhills is one of the latest to put a temporary halt in place.
The City Council held a final vote Monday to put a one-year moratorium on data centers. According to city clerk Ricardo Quinones, the temporary suspension means Zephyrhills’ planning department can’t accept applications for data centers.
Though there aren’t any proposals currently submitted, he added, the moratorium addresses the conversations going on around the city — and the country — about the subject.
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“This was a precautionary method because we didn’t know what the impact of a data center would actually have for our community,” Quinones said.
During the year-long pause, he said the city will research multiple factors, including what neighboring communities are doing, the resource commitment and drain of data centers, and the impact they have on neighborhoods.
That way, Quinones said the city can develop a plan for the community — with their involvement.
“We want to hear what the people have to say about it because we come to any sort of formal conclusion,” he said.
What other local governments are doing
- Citrus County approved a 12-month moratorium in May, and a county panel recommended rejecting a data center rezoning plan last week. The developer behind the plan, Deltona Corporation, withdrew its plan Tuesday.
- Hernando County approved a one-year moratorium on Tuesday.
- DeSoto County also took the first step towards a one-year moratorium Tuesday. County commissioners agreed to have the county attorney write an ordinance barring them from accepting new data center applications for a year. It would not apply to pending projects, including a rezoning application for a more than 800-acre data center complex that's still working its way through county government.
- Pasco County is working on implementing a one-year moratorium. It awaits a second public hearing and vote on July 14.
- A Pinellas County Commissioner has pushed to ban data centers in the county, though it might not be possible under state law.
- Fort Meade in Polk County approved a $2.6 billion deal for a 4.4 million-square-foot data center in April. Residents recently filed a lawsuit against the city, demanding a higher court review the agreement.
- Lakeland is in the process of drafting a 12-month moratorium ordinance, even after a proposal for a 600,000-square-foot data center was submitted. The City Commission is scheduled to hold a first reading on the moratorium July 6, with a public hearing and final vote July 20.
- In Pinellas Park, a company submitted a proposal to build a 17,500 square foot data center. City officials are still working on how to classify and process the proposal.
