LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland city leaders are taking steps toward a one-year pause on future hyperscale data centers.
City officials agreed Friday to draft a moratorium ordinance following public pushback over “Project Swan,” a proposed 600,000-square-foot data center in west Lakeland.
Commissioners say a moratorium isn’t about turning away business, but about getting ahead of future growth.
“We want to be accepting of new technology, excited about innovation,” Commissioner Stephanie Madden said. “But I think it’s up to us to do due diligence to find out all of the ramifications.”
Madden says officials found out about Project Swan at the same time as everyone else. The proposal calls for a hyperscale data center near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road. But like some residents, city leaders are questioning the potential impact the facility could have on the environment and local utilities.
“We don’t know if we have the capacity to say yes. We don’t know what our limitations and our constraints are on our grid,” Madden said.
“So, a moratorium, whether it’s a year or even if it has to be extended, it gives not only developers, but the city, everybody time to do their research,” Commissioner Terry Coney said.
Resident Kendall Donohue watched the discussion from inside City Hall and says she agrees. She lives just a few miles from the proposed site and is glad commissioners want to give the project more thought.
“They want to have the research, they want to have all the numbers, they want to make an informed decision, which I think is a pretty good way for the city to go,” Donohue said.
Looking ahead, City Attorney Palmer Davis will now draft an ordinance that will be considered during upcoming public hearings. He says a de facto moratorium went into effect after Friday’s agenda study meeting, which means staff can deny applications for future hyperscale facilities until new regulations are adopted.
“July 20 would be the date that a moratorium would actually be adopted if they vote to approve that,” Davis said.
The proposed one-year moratorium could be shortened or extended depending on how much time officials need. City leaders say the goal is to make room for future growth, while also considering residents’ quality of life.
The first public hearing for the ordinance will take place on July 6. A second hearing is scheduled for July 20, followed by a final vote.
Alexis Jones
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