Planning commission approves Barren County zoning items after public hearings
The Joint City-County Planning Commission unanimously approved four components of a proposed countywide zoning system in Barren County, including rules governing high-intensity technological infrastructure such as data centers. The proposal was prompted in part by a planned data center near Cave City, where a separate city moratorium is being challenged in court by Kentucky Industrial Alliance.
The Joint City-County Planning Commission unanimously approved Barren County's proposed zoning ordinance, zoning map, amended future land-use map and fee schedule after public hearings on Oct. 19. The ordinance includes Article 17, which establishes rules for high-intensity technological infrastructure, including high-capacity data centers. The proposal was developed after a data center project near Cave City raised concerns about development on property partly outside the city's existing zoning jurisdiction.
The approved materials still require consideration by the Barren County Fiscal Court on two readings before countywide zoning can take effect. Kentucky Industrial Alliance, which owns the property associated with the proposed data center, opposed portions of the zoning map and said its county property should be designated for heavy industrial use. The company also has a pending lawsuit against Cave City challenging the city's one-year data center moratorium and annexation of part of the property, with a hearing scheduled for Nov. 23.