Court OKs data center regulations amid procedure concerns
The Oldham County Fiscal Court approved an ordinance regulating data centers in an 8-1 vote. The rules cap facilities at 10 megawatts and 110,000 square feet and impose large residential and school setbacks, effectively preventing hyperscale data centers from being built in the county for now.
The Oldham County Fiscal Court approved data center regulations Oct. 6 by an 8-1 vote, with Magistrate Michael Logsdon opposed. The ordinance limits data centers to 10 megawatts and 110,000 square feet and requires setbacks of 1,000 feet from residences and 1,500 feet from adjoining schools. Judge Executive David Voegele said the restrictions currently leave no suitable location for a data center in the county and effectively bar hyperscale facilities.
Residents raised concerns about the approval process, potential loopholes in the definitions of medium and hyperscale facilities, and whether the ordinance needed to return to the Planning and Zoning Commission. County Attorney D. Berry Baxter said the ordinance was legally supportable, while Planning and Development Director Ryan Fischer warned that the regulations will need continued monitoring as data center technology and federal involvement evolve.