Commission debates whether to map a data‑center overlay or keep maps applicant‑driven

Staff proposed a Data Center Overlay District that could pair with base zoning to allow data centers (by special use permit in some districts and by‑right in others if paired with the overlay). A commissioner said naming an overlay specifically for data centers could invite legal challenges; "I'm a little gun shy of if we could get in trouble, if we only limit it to data centers and they say, well, you're picking on us," the commissioner said.

Staff suggested leaving the overlay un‑mapped (established in code but not tied to parcels), which would require applicants to request rezoning or a mapped overlay later. Commissioners discussed alternatives — a broader infrastructure‑intensive overlay or relying on individual rezoning — and noted the historical district is currently the city's only mapped overlay tied to an external federal designation.