Lakeville planning commission backs zoning and subdivision amendments, adds conditional review for data centers

Daniel Licht, a planning consultant working with the city of Lakeville, presented the Planning Commission with a packet of ordinance updates on July 23 that would amend Title 10 (subdivisions) and Title 11 (zoning).

Licht said the annual package includes technical clarifications and several substantive changes: combining adjacent nonconforming lots in some cases, allowing building permits on sewered lots that meet 66% of minimum lot standards, setting a 10‑foot rear setback option for decks more than 30 inches above grade, removing a prior cap on maximum commercial parking, and expanding allowable coop materials and limited egg sales for backyard chickens. "We also clarify any existing provisions if there's question or confusion, and then reflect changes made by the legislature," Licht said.

The most notable change would reclassify large data center proposals. Under the draft language, single‑building data centers would remain allowed but be processed as conditional uses — triggering planning commission public hearings and a criteria‑based review — while multi‑building "data center campuses" would be prohibited in all districts. The amendment would also require applicants to submit energy consumption, water‑use and noise studies and to provide a decommissioning plan and screening measures. "So under the current zoning ordinance, data centers are a permitted use," Licht said. "The most significant change here is that the data centers going forward would be specifically allowed as a conditional use," adding the change gives the city more discretion and a public review process.

Environmental and infrastructure protections are a core focus. The draft requires a water‑use study demonstrating whether a facility can be accommodated by city water resources and system plans and suggests alternatives (air‑cooled or closed‑loop cooling) to limit freshwater demand. Noise standards would be expanded to include lower‑frequency limits consistent with Minnesota pollution control standards, with compliance checks once a facility is operational. Licht also noted that electrical transmission and utility capacity fall largely under the state Public Utilities Commission, limiting the city's authority on energy siting.

At the public hearing, Charles Banks of the Lakeville Friends of the Environment and the Lakeville Green Coalition praised the proposed data center provisions but urged stronger numeric standards for water and energy. "Water is not a renewable resource," Banks said, and called for verifiable metrics for water and energy use rather than leaving those questions solely to engineering reports.

Commissioners voiced support for the testing and transparency measures and discussed whether additional economic impact information (jobs, average pay) should be collected; Licht said such business details are generally outside zoning decisions but could be requested if relevant to incentive or assistance decisions. The commission voted to close the public hearing and unanimously recommended the ordinance amendments to the City Council by roll call vote. The packet and staff memo dated July 17 accompanied the recommendation.

The commission's recommendation is advisory; the City Council is expected to consider the amendments at its next meeting.