Sioux County continues discussion on data centers
The Sioux County Board of Supervisors is continuing discussions on a draft data center ordinance aimed at regulating the placement of facilities to protect farmland. This follows a one-year moratorium enacted in June to allow time for the ordinance to be drafted. The proposed ordinance will first go before the planning and zoning board before proceeding to public hearings and a final vote by the supervisors.
The Sioux County Board of Supervisors in Orange City, Iowa, is continuing its work on a new data center ordinance, holding further discussions during a recent meeting. This effort stems from a one-year moratorium on data center and industrial battery storage construction that the supervisors passed on June 16, following the emergence of a proposed data center project within the county.
County Zoning Director Shane Walter stated that the moratorium was put in place to provide sufficient time for the county to develop a robust ordinance. The drafted regulations are intended to control where data centers can be located in Sioux County, with a primary objective of protecting agricultural land by limiting facilities to areas that meet specific criteria. County Attorney Tom Kunstle confirmed that he and Information Technology Department Director Micah Van Maanen are currently reviewing Walter's extensive draft.
Supervisor chairman Jerry Muilenburg noted that the draft ordinance is slated for discussion by the planning and zoning board on Thursday night. Attorney Kunstle added that Walter compiled the draft by drawing from various existing ordinances. Should the planning and zoning board recommend its approval, the ordinance would then move to the Board of Supervisors for a final vote, but not before three public hearings are held to ensure community input.