Citrus County Commission Considers Data Center Moratorium; Deltona Project Impacted

Citrus County commissioners are moving to implement a temporary moratorium on new data centers, a decision that has stalled Deltona Corporation's plans to expand and rezone land at Holder Industrial Park. During their May 12 meeting, commissioners unanimously voted to direct staff to prepare an ordinance for a moratorium, which will prevent data center discussions at the upcoming Planning & Development Commission (PDC) meeting. The proposed moratorium, if approved, could last up to a year, halting new data center rezonings, site plans, and building permits while the county develops new regulations regarding their location and construction.

County Attorney Denise Dymond Lyn indicated the moratorium aims to establish clearer protections and guidelines for data center development. Commissioners cited concerns regarding water use, electricity demand, noise, environmental impacts, and infrastructure strain, particularly in relation to the proximity of such large facilities to residential areas. They also plan to examine potential state legislation addressing water and energy consumption for major projects.

Despite strong public opposition to the Holder Industrial Park proposal, driven by resident concerns over groundwater, rural character, wildlife, and farms, Deltona’s application continues through the county’s review process. Land Development Division Director Joanna Coutu confirmed the moratorium itself will be debated on May 26, but no hearing on the Holder project is scheduled for that time. The PDC is expected to review the application on June 18, with a state agency transmittal slated for July 14, before returning to county commissioners for final approval. The application has always included data centers as a potential use, and a revised map indicating a specific data center location was recently submitted.