Lexington mayoral candidate comes out against large data centers
Both Lexington mayoral candidates, Raquel Carter and incumbent Linda Gorton, oppose large-scale data centers in Fayette County. This comes after the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Planning Commission approved an ordinance banning data centers over 40,000 square feet, which still requires final city council approval. A moratorium on new data centers in Lexington is also in effect until October 2026.
The Lexington mayoral race is seeing both incumbent Linda Gorton and challenger Raquel Carter take a stand against large-scale data center development in Fayette County. Raquel Carter, owner of Guide Realty, issued a statement supporting a full ban, citing concerns over potential impacts on affordability, higher power bills, and environmental damage. This aligns with Mayor Gorton's previous remarks to Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, where she encouraged the Urban County Council to oppose such developments and confirmed her administration would not provide tax incentives for projects like the proposed DartPoints facility.
The political opposition follows the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Planning Commission's approval on July 30 of a zoning ordinance. This ordinance bans data centers larger than 40,000 square feet while allowing smaller "edge centers" under strict guidelines and conditional use permits. The city council still needs to cast a final vote on these zoning regulations. Additionally, a moratorium on new data centers in Lexington, enacted on June 8 after the DartPoints proposal emerged, remains in effect until October 31, 2026.