Data centers prohibited under St. Pete’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 or consider restrictions on data centers amid concerns about electricity, water and land use.
St. Petersburg Planning Director Derek Kilborn told Mayor Ken Welch in an Oct. 9 memorandum that standalone data centers, including large facilities supporting artificial intelligence, are prohibited under the city’s current zoning code. The land-use matrix does not list data centers as permitted uses, and Kilborn found they could not reasonably be classified as a similar permitted utility use or qualify for a special exception.
The determination preserves the city’s existing restrictions rather than creating a new moratorium or zoning amendment. It follows Florida legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that recognizes infrastructure and environmental challenges associated with large electricity users while preserving local land-use authority. Elsewhere in Pinellas County, Pinellas Park approved a one-year development moratorium and county commissioners adopted restrictions on large standalone facilities in unincorporated areas.