Minneola advances proposed one-year data center moratorium, final vote upcoming
Minneola is advancing a proposed one-year moratorium on data centers within its city limits, with a final vote scheduled for July 21. This pause is intended to allow city staff to research and develop appropriate ordinances for future data center applications. Several other Florida counties, including Lake County, are also considering or have enacted similar moratoriums to address the growing interest in data center development.
The City of Minneola, Florida, is preparing for a final vote on July 21 to implement a one-year moratorium on new data center developments. City Attorney Scott Gerken stated the moratorium is a 'legal timeout' to allow city staff to research and establish specific regulations for data centers, as existing codes do not adequately address these facilities or 'large load customers.' The move follows a trend among Florida jurisdictions, with several counties like Citrus, Hernando, Palm Beach, and Nassau having already adopted similar one-year pauses.
Lake County, where Minneola is located, has also begun the process of enacting a temporary moratorium until October 2027, with the proposed ordinance requiring approval from the city's Planning & Zoning Board. Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini noted that while there are currently no data centers or pending applications in Lake County, 12 large data center applications have been filed in Florida in the last year, with more expected. Minneola City Councilman Erick Hernandez, who designs data centers, supported the moratorium, emphasizing the need to differentiate between large, resource-intensive facilities and smaller data centers that might have less impact.
Separately, in neighboring Orange County, CoreSite, an American Tower subsidiary, is proposing a second data center building at its Orlando campus. Site plans filed with the South Florida Water Management District show a new 76,280-square-foot, two-story structure would be added to the existing facility near John Young Parkway and State Road 528. This expansion reflects ongoing data center development in the region even as local governments consider regulatory pauses.