Lexington approves new limits on data center size, power and noise
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council extended the city’s moratorium on new data center development through October 2027 and unanimously approved restrictions on facility size, power use and noise. The rules could prevent DartPoints’ proposed redevelopment of a former Lexmark site from proceeding as originally planned, while residents and local officials continue to debate environmental, energy and quality-of-life impacts.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council extended a moratorium on new data center development through October 2027 and approved a zoning text amendment limiting facilities to 50,000 square feet and 25 megawatts of power. The measure also imposes noise limits and requires zoning plans addressing community impacts. The council directed the planning commission to develop a separate data center zoning classification that could provide additional opportunities for public input.
The changes place uncertainty around DartPoints’ plan to redevelop a former Lexmark property near New Circle Road. The Texas-based company previously described an 81,000-square-foot facility capable of supporting up to 70 megawatts, but a company attorney later said the site would not be a hyperscale data center. Council members and residents cited concerns about energy costs, environmental effects, noise and impacts on historically Black and brown communities, while business and University of Kentucky representatives warned that overly broad rules could affect server infrastructure used by banks, health care providers and other industries.