P&Z sends revised data center regulations to fiscal court
The Oldham County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved revised data center regulations, forwarding them to the Fiscal Court for final approval. The regulations define small, medium, and large data centers with specific zoning allowances and setback requirements, following extensive review and community input.
After a series of meetings and revisions, the Oldham County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously on June 23 to send its updated data center regulations to the Oldham County Fiscal Court for final approval. These regulations had been previously returned by the Fiscal Court on January 20 for further review and recommended changes. The commission tasked its Study Review Committee with addressing these modifications.
The Study Review Committee approved several key changes, including the continued allowance of "large" data centers in Industrial Park District (IPD) zones, a decision that faced opposition from Commissioner Will Douglas and was ultimately denied in a 9-2 commission vote despite community concerns. Additionally, the committee created specific definitions for "medium" and "small" data centers, while eliminating the term "hyperscale" from the regulations. A significant revision, prompted by Commissioner Allen Hayes' concern that the original definition of data centers was overly broad, established a minimum threshold for "small" data centers at 10,000 square feet or 1 megawatt of power capacity.
Under the proposed regulations, small data centers (10,000-20,000 sq ft or 1-5 MW) are permitted in C4, I-1, I-2, and IPD zones. Medium data centers (20,001-99,999 sq ft or 5-50 MW) are allowed in I-1, I-2, and IPD zones, while large data centers (100,000 sq ft or more or 50 MW+) are permitted in I-2 and IPD zones. Other changes included clarifying square footage measurement to "gross floor area" and maintaining setbacks at 1,000 feet from residential properties and 1,500 feet from school properties, after a proposal for uniform 1,500-foot setbacks failed. Planning and Development Director Ryan Fischer indicated that the Fiscal Court would hold its first reading on the regulations in August, following the commission's approval of its meeting minutes.