St. Louis County delays vote on proposed data center regulations
The St. Louis County Planning Commission delayed a vote on proposed data center regulations to clarify how gross floor area would be calculated. The proposed rules would increase setbacks, require cool roofs and impose different permitting requirements based on facility size, while county officials received more than 200 public comments, including calls to prohibit data centers.
The St. Louis County Planning Commission postponed action on proposed regulations governing data centers in unincorporated parts of the county. A commissioner requested a clearer definition of gross floor area, which determines how facilities are categorized and what approval process applies. The Department of Planning will revise the language if necessary and return it to the commission for a vote, followed by consideration by the County Council.
The proposal would increase the required distance between major data centers and homes or parks from 300 feet to 500 feet, make cool roofs mandatory and require conditional use permits for larger facilities and some smaller facilities in office and commercial districts. The county received more than 200 written comments, with more than half favoring a ban on data centers and others calling for stricter requirements, including renewable-energy use.