Proposed data center regulations part of Lexington development plan
Lexington's Planning Commission passed a development plan for the Blue Sky industrial park, which includes proposed updates to zoning regulations for data centers. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council simultaneously enacted a moratorium on new data center development until October 31. These actions follow DartPoints' acquisition and announced expansion plans for a data center in north Lexington.
Lexington’s Planning Commission approved a development plan for the city’s Blue Sky industrial park, a decision that includes recommendations to modernize the city’s industrial zoning regulations, particularly concerning data centers. Consultant Caleb Racicot of TSW Design highlighted that Lexington-Fayette County currently lacks a clear definition for data centers in its zoning ordinance, prompting recommendations for establishing "minor" (under 50,000 square feet) and "major" (over 50,000 square feet) definitions. Under the proposed changes, major data centers would be prohibited in industrial areas.
While the Planning Commission has no immediate timeline to enact these specific zoning recommendations, they are being developed. Concurrently, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council unanimously voted to enact a moratorium on local data center development, effective until October 31. This moratorium was established shortly after DartPoints announced its acquisition of a former Lexmark data center in north Lexington, with plans to expand its capacity from 20-30 megawatts to a potential 70 megawatts to support cloud and AI computing. A public hearing on the council-directed zoning amendment for data centers is scheduled for July 30.