APC ordinance committee advances temporary pause on large data centers with 10,000-sq-ft threshold

APC staff introduced a short-term ordinance to address "large data centers," defined in the draft as buildings used for centralized server operations and initially set at 5,000 square feet or larger. Staff said the proposal would allow such facilities in I2 districts only by special exception and apply industrial performance standards while staff studies longer-term restrictions.

"The point of this is just to put a bit of a pause on allowing them," APC staff explained during the ordinance committee discussion, describing the draft as an interim measure to buy time for further study.

Public commenters urged stronger limits. "They can be quite gigantic, 100, 200, 300,000 plus square feet," said public commenter Zachary Vale, recommending a size cap. Another resident, Joe Sowski, told the committee staff had identified "a lot of negative externalities associated with these data centers — noise, high electricity uses, water usage" and urged a more detailed ordinance rather than a "barebones" approach.

Commissioners debated enforceability and whether the square-foot threshold should reference ground-floor area or total building area. Several members noted local smaller centers (example cited at roughly 7,200 sq ft) that could be made nonconforming by too-low thresholds and discussed whether to include I3 zoning. To give staff time to craft a fuller rule, a motion was made and seconded to amend the draft to set a 10,000-square-foot threshold measured as building area, restrict allowance to I2 zoning (I3 removed), and add a one-year sunset clause so the committee must revisit the topic.

The amended motion carried on a voice vote and will be forwarded to the full Area Plan Commission on Oct. 15, 2025 for formal consideration. Staff indicated the ordinance could return for more detailed performance standards addressing noise, utilities use and scalability once the committee has more input from operators and from other jurisdictions that have adopted data‑center standards.

Next steps: the amended interim ordinance will be on the APC docket for Oct. 15, and staff will continue outreach and follow-up research to craft a comprehensive long-term standard.