Mason City Council tables zoning ordinance rollout plan to January
The Mason City Council tabled a communication plan for a proposed rewrite of the city’s zoning ordinance, delaying the matter until the new council takes office in January. Residents opposed to a potential data center in Mason urged stronger protections, while annexation of land sought for the project has cleared an initial state-level hurdle.
The Mason City Council unanimously rejected and deferred a communication plan for publicly rolling out a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s zoning ordinance. City Manager Deborah Stuart said the draft would include new standards for data centers, along with rules covering housing, historic reuse and other development, but the draft has not yet been released publicly.
The action came as residents voiced opposition to a potential data center during more than two hours of public comment. Paula Caltrider helped lead the opposition, while landowners seeking annexation into Mason are pursuing a data center project that has not yet formally applied for development approval. The annexation process is expected to take several months and will require a public hearing that has not been scheduled.