Lancaster City Council to hold public hearing on data center zoning amendment, discuss affordable housing
Lancaster City Council is preparing to hold a public hearing in mid-June regarding a proposed data center text amendment. This amendment, drafted last fall, aims to modernize the city's zoning ordinances and will proceed to a council vote by late June. The discussion about data centers arose during a meeting primarily focused on affordable housing challenges.
Lancaster City Council is slated to host a public hearing in mid-June to deliberate a proposed data center text amendment. This amendment, which was initially drafted in the fall, is part of a broader city initiative to modernize its zoning, subdivision, and land development ordinances, operating under the working brand name "Lancaster by Design." Following the public hearing, council members are expected to proceed with a vote on the text amendment by late June.
The upcoming data center discussion was briefly mentioned during a council meeting primarily focused on the city's affordable housing strategy. During the meeting, affordable housing advocates and developers called for eased zoning rules and permitting to foster low-income housing alternatives, citing that the city fell short of its affordable housing unit goals. One resident, Christian Hinojosa, highlighted the perceived disparity, stating, "These cases paint a picture of a city where it is easier to site a data center than to shelter and house our most vulnerable neighbors," underscoring community sentiment regarding development priorities.
This indicates an ongoing process by the city government to establish or update regulations specifically for data center development within Lancaster.