TARPON SPRINGS — City commissioners will consider a 12-month moratorium on data centers, one that would apply both inside the city and to projects on adjacent unincorporated land that would need to tap into the city’s water and sewer system.
Commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 8 to bring the issue back for discussion at the request of Mayor John Koulianos.
“I would like to put on the agenda a moratorium on data centers for at least 12 months, so that we can learn more about them and understand them,” Koulianos said.
“I know that some people might say there is not a lot of property in Tarpon Springs to put a data center but understand that any property adjacent to Tarpon Springs that has to tap into our water and sewer system could greatly impact us.”
Developments are typically required to connect to the nearest water or sewer line, the mayor said, which would put a developer on adjacent land in the position of asking to annex into the city to get service. A moratorium, he said, “will give us a chance to understand the pros and cons of data centers, because we have a limited capacity at the city’s water system and must protect it.”
No data center has been proposed in Tarpon Springs or on nearby unincorporated parcels, Koulianos said, but the possibility exists.
“By putting a moratorium in place, we can get all the residents to rest assured that we’re taking this thing seriously and we would learn about it,” he said.
Commissioner Lori Weaver moved to take up the issue and Commissioner David Banther seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Banther said the item will likely draw heavy public comment and should be scheduled for a meeting with a light agenda so everyone can be heard.
“We want to make sure that we research this and get the right information,” City Manager Mark LeCouris said.
Koulianos said the discussion may not come until November, “but it’s something we need to address.”
Tarpon Springs would not be the first city in Pinellas County to act. The Pinellas Park City Council approved a one-year moratorium to give that city time to study data centers and weigh regulations, after a provider expressed interest there.
County commissioners have taken a different tack. At a recent meeting, commissioners said staff had fielded an inquiry from a data center developer interested in an undisclosed unincorporated site, and that residents have urged the board to impose a moratorium of its own.
County Attorney Jewel White told commissioners that standalone data centers are not permitted as a primary use in unincorporated Pinellas County. Rather than a moratorium on something already prohibited, she recommended the board pass a resolution stating that data centers are not allowed as a primary use and that commissioners do not intend to permit them.
Commissioner Kathleen Peters told her colleagues that Forward Pinellas is studying data centers with an eye toward developing standards local governments could adopt.