St. Cloud Planning Commission Considers New Data Center Zoning Framework
St. Cloud, Minnesota, is proactively developing new zoning regulations for data centers, as the city currently lacks specific rules. The Planning Commission held a public hearing to amend the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code to steer large-scale data centers to industrial parks. The commission voted to postpone action until its next meeting in October.
The city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, is taking proactive steps to establish a regulatory framework for data centers, as it currently lacks specific rules for such developments. Planning Director Matt Glaesman noted that there are no large-scale data centers or current proposals in the community, making this a forward-thinking measure to provide the city with more oversight.
On Tuesday night, the Planning Commission conducted its first public hearing on proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code. The draft framework categorizes data centers into two types: hyper-scale, which would require a conditional use permit and separate public hearing for each proposal and be restricted to industrial parks; and smaller on-site centers, which would only need a building permit.
Five individuals spoke during the hearing, including former St. Cloud State Professor Bryant Julestrom, who suggested a wait-and-see approach, anticipating that future data centers might place fewer demands on local resources. Following the discussion, the Planning Commission voted 5 to 1 to postpone action on the proposed changes until its next meeting in October. A subsequent public hearing will be held at a City Council meeting.