Rio Communities planning commission sets June 17 workshop to finish zoning definitions, debates data‑center controls

The Rio Communities Planning & Zoning Commission continued a detailed review of zoning definitions and permitted uses on June 4 and scheduled a follow‑up workshop for Wednesday, June 17 at 3:00 p.m. to complete assignments and compile a package for council review.

The chair opened the meeting and the commission approved the evening’s agenda and routine minutes before launching into a line‑by‑line examination of definitions, from multifamily and accessory dwelling units to wireless support structures and sign rules. Commissioners flagged numerous entries as either "minor" edits or items requiring “major” rewrites and agreed to parcel out topics to speed the process.

"We might wanna put a moratorium on them," one committee member said when the discussion turned to data centers, urging the council consider temporary limits while the city finishes its definitions. The statement prompted pushback from other members who warned about legal exposure and urged a regulatory approach. "My recommendation is we better tackle it and solve it," a staff member responded, noting the risk of "takings losses" if the city imposes broad, undefined bans.

Commissioners emphasized practical regulatory tools such as time, place and manner restrictions and suggested drafting size and operational limits for data‑center projects rather than an outright moratorium. The commission noted there is urgency: members said hyperscale and other large‑scale data projects are already circulating in the region and the city should prepare clear standards.

On process, commissioners agreed with the attorney’s earlier recommendation to present the completed set of definitions together to the City Council rather than in piecemeal fashion, and set an internal target of having draft language ready by late summer. The chair explicitly assigned Scott and Rick to lead work on the wireless (Wi‑Fi) and data‑center portions of the draft and asked them to report back at the June 17 workshop.

The meeting recorded several specific editorial outcomes: the commission marked multiple entries (including noise‑sensitive zones, wireless support structures and a set of signage/temporary sign definitions) for major rewrites; it marked many housing‑related entries as minor edits; and it directed staff to reconcile duplicate or overlapping terms such as parcel/lot and front/rear setback language.

The session ended with a short list of follow‑up tasks for staff and commissioners and an adjournment. The commission did not send any formal moratorium request to the council at the meeting; members recommended preparing draft regulatory language for council review instead.

What happens next: The commission will reconvene in workshop on June 17 at 3:00 p.m. to finish assignments and review draft language. Once the commission compiles a final package, staff will forward it to the City Council for consideration.