County commissioners have instituted a one-year moratorium on data centers to allow time to investigate how the facilities should be addressed in the county’s comprehensive plan, land development code and other regulations.
County staff will focus on electricity and water use, noise and air pollution, compatibility with surrounding properties, siting, design, setbacks, buffering and other issues, according to a county press release.
The moratorium will remain in place for 12 months or until repealed; the board may extend the moratorium if commissioners determine additional time is necessary.
The Oct. 8 vote was postponed from a meeting two days earlier, drawing criticism from some members of the public who spoke at the Oct. 6 meeting, including an accusation of Sunshine Law violations when the commission did not have enough members present to conduct business.
Commissioner Bob McCann attended by phone, and Commissioners Jason Bearden, Tal Siddique and George Kruse were physically present. Commissioners Amanda Ballard and Mike Rahn were absent.
Calling the lack of quorum a “planned coup,” Manatee County activist Andra Griffin told commissioners she intended to file a report with the state attorney’s office alleging that the Sunshine Law was violated.
“This would be the world’s worst coup,” Kruse said. “It’s moving 48 hours. … It’s a little silly to make baseless accusations about a board because some people had conflicts today.”
During public comment, Traci Lipton said, “Shame on the commissioners that didn’t show up today for business that is extremely important to the county because they are up for election and don’t want to have this on paper.”
Commissioners voted unanimously in July to draft the temporary moratorium.
In September, county planner Jay Stearman told commissioners that municipalities are prohibited by law from approving data centers if the proposed water use is harmful to the water resources of the area or is prohibited by applicable local government zoning regulations or the comprehensive plan.
Data centers generally do not support long-term employment opportunities once operational, he said, recommending a moratorium so that county staff could study issues including compatibility with surrounding uses, water and electric consumption, low-frequency noise abatement, environmental impacts, design standards and fees.
During the moratorium, the county will temporarily stop accepting new applications for building permits, site plans, development orders, development agreements, special permit uses, rezonings and comprehensive plan amendments related to data centers and large load facilities in unincorporated Manatee County.
“This gives us the opportunity to make sure we have the right rules in place if these facilities come through our development process,” District 2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard said in a press release. “Data centers can have significant infrastructure needs, and we want to understand those impacts and make thoughtful decisions about where, how and if they fit into Manatee County.”