Murray City Council approves moratorium on data center applications for one week
Murray's City Council enacted a one-week moratorium on data center permit applications while new zoning regulations are being drafted. Mayor Bob Rogers previously opposed a moratorium but is now urging the Planning Commission to swiftly pass the new ordinance. The temporary ban aims to ensure new zoning is in place before any applications are submitted.
The Murray City Council in Kentucky on Thursday enacted a one-week moratorium on data center project permit applications. This temporary measure comes as the city explores implementing new zoning regulations specifically for data centers, a move previously resisted by Murray Mayor Bob Rogers due to fears of legal repercussions.
The proposed data center zoning ordinance, drafted with model language from the Kentucky Resources Council, is currently under review by the Murray Planning Commission. Following a recent hearing, the commission voted to incorporate public feedback into the draft. Mayor Rogers has urged the commission to pass the ordinance as written, including all public comments, at its next meeting on Tuesday, to allow the city council to hold its first reading of the ordinance next Thursday.
The short moratorium is intended to bridge the gap between the finalization of the new zoning ordinance and the submission of any potential permit applications, as no applications for data centers within Murray city limits have yet been filed. One data center, Soluna's 25-megawatt Project Sophie, has been active in Calloway County, outside Murray, since 2021.