Planning & Zoning hold off on recommending data center-related ordinance once again
Fort Madison’s Planning & Zoning Commission again declined to forward a proposed ordinance regulating data centers and other high-infrastructure industrial developments to the City Council. The commission wants more time to assess whether the draft is too broad and how it would interact with existing zoning rules, while a separate Lee County moratorium has halted a data center project outside city limits.
Fort Madison’s Planning & Zoning Commission delayed action on a proposed amendment to the city zoning code that would create standards for “High Infrastructure Impact Developments,” including data centers and other large industrial facilities. The proposal would require impact studies and establish standards for utilities, roads, stormwater, noise, light pollution, setbacks, resource use and enforcement.
Commission Chair Barb Asay and Planning & Zoning Director Doug Krogmeier said additional review is needed to determine whether the ordinance should focus specifically on data centers or cover a broader range of industrial projects. The commission’s decision means the draft will not be considered at the scheduled City Council public hearing, while a proposed data center outside Fort Madison remains halted under a countywide construction moratorium and a cease-and-desist order from the Lee County Attorney’s Office.