Sioux City’s Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss data centers at upcoming meeting
Sioux City’s Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss potential zoning regulations for data centers and gather public input before drafting an ordinance amendment. The discussion follows regional debates, county moratoriums and opposition to a proposed data center in nearby Salix.
Sioux City’s Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to discuss data center regulations and hear resident feedback before city staff drafts an amendment to the zoning ordinance. The current ordinance does not contain a land-use category specifically addressing data centers. A draft is expected to return to the commission on Oct. 27 before a recommendation is sent to the Sioux City City Council in November.
The planned discussion comes amid broader data center disputes in Northwest Iowa. Siouxland counties, including Sioux County, Woodbury County and Emmet County, passed moratoriums during the summer, while Salix residents protested a proposed facility on 900 acres of annexed farmland. MidAmerican Energy and Google separately expressed interest in a future Salix data center.