Pulaski County APC discusses data center moratorium proposal

The Pulaski County Advisory Plan Commission (APC) had a conversation regarding the commissioners' proposed six month data center moratorium during a regular meeting on Nov. 24. The county commissioners had passed a motion on Nov. 17, recommending that the APC start working on Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) language for data centers along with some other considerations including a data center definition, language requiring a closed loop cooling system and language addressing setbacks, height limits, etc. Additionally, the commissioners unanimously agreed to recommending a six month moratorium in response to the APC's 12 month moratorium recommendation. Pulaski County Building Inspector and Plan Administrator Karla Redweik advised the commission that she had spoken to the APC's Attorney Clifford Robinson regarding creating language for a 12 month moratorium and he had made some suggestions on things they can alter. She explained that phone companies and large businesses also have data centers, so if there's no limit on the size, they are also controlling businesses and the storing of their own in-house data.