Marshalltown and Marshall County consider data center moratoriums and zoning regulations
Marshalltown's Planning & Zoning Commission is developing long-term data center zoning regulations and considering a four-month moratorium. Concurrently, the Marshall County Zoning Commission will discuss a proposed six-month moratorium on data center development. Residents are concerned about a potential data center listing near Marshalltown and the possibility of annexation.
The Marshalltown Planning & Zoning Commission is actively working on developing long-term zoning regulations for data centers and considering a temporary four-month moratorium on new data center development. The article highlights the Iowa Data Center Decision Tool, developed at the University of Iowa, as a valuable resource for local communities like Marshalltown to assess data center proposals.
Separately, Marshall County Zoning Administrator Tyler Kelley announced a Zoning Commission meeting on August 27 to discuss and potentially act on a temporary six-month moratorium on data center development within the county. The article notes residents' concerns regarding a commercial real estate listing by SVN | CREATE Commercial Real Estate Advisors for 34 parcels between Marshalltown and Shady Oaks Road, identified as suitable for data center development.
Residents in the affected area are reportedly concerned about both data center development and potential annexation by Marshalltown. The author, Annie Grieshop, a long-time Marshall County resident and historian of technology, encourages public participation in these meetings to ensure thoughtful regulations are developed. She also points out that Iowa Code Section 368.17 prevents cities from involuntarily annexing county land solely to increase revenues, suggesting this could be relevant in discussions concerning data center development along Shady Oaks.