Lexington council temporarily pauses data center approvals in Fayette County

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to enact a temporary moratorium on data center approvals, development plans, and zone changes in Fayette County until October 31. This decision came after two walk-on resolutions, introduced by Fifth District Council Member Liz Sheehan, passed in a brief meeting with no discussion.

The moratorium was prompted by the recent public disclosure of DartPoints Operating Company's purchase of a former Lexmark property, which the company intends to develop for data center operations, including support for artificial intelligence. The site, currently with a 20-30 megawatt capacity and potential for expansion to 70 megawatts, did not require rezoning as technological use is permitted in its current area. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton expressed support for the moratorium, noting her office was unaware of the sale until it was complete and would not back public incentives for the project's growth.

Sheehan explained that the county's comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances lack modern definitions and regulations for data centers. The moratorium aims to provide the council with sufficient time to review and integrate appropriate regulations into the land use and zoning scheme. Her second resolution initiated the process for a zoning ordinance text amendment to establish clear guidelines for data center development. The city's Planning Commission is now tasked with drafting new definitions and outlining allowable uses within various zones, with a 60-day deadline from June 9 to return the amendment to the council for approval.