This Florida city will consider data center moratorium
Lakeland, Florida, city leaders are preparing to discuss a proposed 12-month moratorium on large-scale data centers following community pushback against a development project. Residents raised concerns about noise, water use, energy consumption, traffic, and environmental impacts. Public hearings are scheduled to review the proposed ordinance.
Lakeland, Florida, is preparing to hold public hearings on a proposed 12-month moratorium on large-scale data centers. This move comes after significant community opposition to "Project Swan," a proposed 550,000 square-foot data center near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road, which has since been put on hold.
During an agenda study last month, Commissioner Guy La Lone indicated the moratorium would allow the city to research potential impacts related to water demand, electrical infrastructure capacity, traffic, noise pollution, and environmental concerns. Residents have voiced strong objections, leading to an online petition urging city leaders to approve the moratorium to ensure transparency and proper evaluation of future data center developments.
The first public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for Monday, July 6th, at 9:00 a.m. at Lakeland City Hall, with a second hearing on July 20th. Other Florida counties are also enacting similar measures; Pasco and Hernando counties are in the process of imposing their own moratoriums, while Citrus County recently approved a one-year freeze.