Data centers prohibited under St. Petersburg’s city code
St. Petersburg’s planning director determined that standalone data centers are prohibited under the city’s existing land development code because they are not listed as permitted uses or eligible for special exceptions. The clarification comes as other governments in Pinellas County adopt data center restrictions amid concerns about electricity use, water resources and land availability.
St. Petersburg Planning Director Derek Kilborn told Mayor Ken Welch in an October 9 memorandum that standalone data centers, including large facilities serving artificial intelligence workloads, are prohibited under the city’s existing zoning regulations. The city’s land development code does not list data centers as permitted uses, and Kilborn found they could not be justified as similar to utility infrastructure or another allowed use.
The determination follows Florida’s enactment of Senate Bill 484, which recognizes challenges associated with large utility users while preserving local land-use authority. Elsewhere in Pinellas County, Pinellas Park approved a one-year data center moratorium and county commissioners adopted restrictions on large standalone facilities in unincorporated areas. St. Petersburg’s action was described as a clarification of existing rules rather than a new zoning change, and officials did not indicate whether any development proposals were pending.