Zionsville joined the growing list of municipalities that are halting data center developments Sept. 21 as the Zionsville Town Council approved a one-year moratorium.
The moratorium also applies to solar and wind farms and battery energy storage systems. The action taken by the council directs the town’s planning department as well as the Zionsville Plan Commission to review zoning code regarding the types of development because there is no permitted land use for them. If proposed now, it would be via a special use permit.
“This is not shutting these projects down, this is sending a request to the plan commission to review our land use, our ordinance (and) to provide recommendations to us,” Town Council President Jason Plunkett said.
Town council attorney Heather Harris said the moratorium was partially driven by other communities in the region doing the same. Boone County approved a one-year moratorium on data centers in June. Some counties have banned them altogether. Harris said it could result in developers eyeing Zionsville as a potential site for data center or renewable energy projects.
“The thought was to get ahead of this with a one-year moratorium,” she said.
The pause wi...