Clayton enacts data center moratorium
Clayton City Council has enacted an immediate 365-day temporary moratorium on all applications for data processing centers, including zoning, conditional use, and building permits. This pause is intended to allow the city time to evaluate the situation and update its codified ordinances, which currently lack specific definitions for data centers. The decision comes amidst concerns raised by a resident about transparency, citing a controversial data center approval in nearby Piqua.
The Clayton City Council passed a resolution at its July 16 meeting, implementing an immediate, temporary 365-day moratorium on all data center applications. This includes zoning, conditional use, and building permits for data processing centers.
The measure aims to provide the city with time to evaluate the rapidly evolving data center landscape and update its current codified ordinances, which lack specific definitions or use classifications for such facilities. Concerns were raised by resident Deborah Retman, a former Piqua City Schools teacher, who expressed appreciation for the proactive stance but questioned the 'temporary' nature of the moratorium and the city's transparency efforts. Retman referenced a past incident in Piqua where a massive data center's zoning approval occurred without adequate resident notification due to a Non-Disclosure Agreement, leading to legal action by residents.
Mayor Ryan Farmer deferred to City Manager Elaine Wittman, who explained the moratorium's temporary status by citing ongoing state-level developments affecting data centers. Wittman assured the public of the city's commitment to transparency, stating that major changes would be advertised and public input would be welcomed. She noted that while Clayton might not have sufficient open land for a data center, the moratorium serves as a protective measure until the city's ordinances are updated to properly classify and regulate data processing centers.