New Framework Aims To Guide Data Centers In St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota, is proactively developing zoning rules for data centers, as the city currently has no regulations in place. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on proposed amendments that would categorize data centers and restrict hyper-scale facilities to industrial parks, requiring conditional use permits. The commission voted to postpone a decision until its next meeting.
St. Cloud, Minnesota, is taking proactive steps to establish regulations for large-scale data centers, as the city currently lacks specific rules for such developments. The Planning Commission recently conducted a public hearing to discuss proposed amendments to the city's Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code. These amendments aim to categorize data centers, requiring hyper-scale facilities (up to a million square feet) to obtain a conditional use permit and be restricted to industrial parks, while smaller on-site centers would only need a building permit.
During the hearing, Planning Director Matt Glaesman emphasized that the city currently has no large data centers or proposals, making these changes a preventative measure to gain more oversight. Former St. Cloud State Professor Bryant Julestrom, one of five speakers, suggested that evolving technology might reduce future demands on local resources, implying a "wait and see" approach could be prudent. Following the discussion, the Planning Commission voted 5-1 to postpone a decision on the proposed framework until its next meeting in October, after which the City Council will hold another public hearing.