By Allison Peck
Future data center projects in Lincoln County will no longer move through the county's zoning process as a permitted use after county commissioners unanimously approved new regulations Monday requiring each proposal to undergo public hearings and obtain a Conditional Use Permit before development can move forward.
The vote marks the first major policy change to come from months of discussion surrounding potential data center development in Lincoln County. While no data center project is currently proposed within the county, commissioners said the changes are intended to ensure any future application receives additional public review while giving county officials greater flexibility to address concerns unique to each project.
Under the previous zoning regulations, data centers were listed as a permitted use in industrial districts, meaning projects meeting all zoning requirements could move through the approval process administratively. Tuesday's amendment changes that designation to a Conditional Use Permit, requiring every future proposal to appear before both the Lincoln County Planning Commission and the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners during public hearings before construction could be approved.
The change also allows commissioners to place project-specific conditions on future developments if necessary, something county officials said is more appropriate for a rapidly evolving industry.
Planning Administrator Judy Clark told commissioners the Conditional Use Permit process already provides safeguards if a project changes after approval.
"If it's something very, very minor... it probably wouldn't come back," Clark explained. "But if it's anything that's going to be a significant change, it would." She added that applicants must comply with the plans submitted as part of their permit and could be brought back before the county if those conditions are not followed.
The amendment comes less than two weeks after commissioners rejected a proposed temporary moratorium on new data center development, instead choosing to continue refining county regulations.
That decision prompted additional work by the Planning Commission, which expanded what began as a single-page section of the county's comprehensive plan into a much more detailed framework addressing future data center development.
Commission Chairman Kent Weems emphasized Mondaythat those regulations are expected to continue evolving as the county gains more experience with the industry.
"We've said before it's a living document," Weems said. "If we find something out two months, three months, six months, a year down the road that's relevant, it should be adopted and changed then too. This isn't put in stone."
Public comment before the vote reflected the divide that has emerged throughout the county's discussion of data centers.
Some residents encouraged commissioners to adopt the revised regulations, saying they provide a balanced approach that protects neighboring landowners while keeping Lincoln County open to future economic development. Others urged commissioners to continue refining the language as additional information becomes available and the industry evolves.
Throughout Tuesday's discussion, commissioners repeatedly emphasized that the vote was not an approval of a data center project.
Instead, the action establishes how future proposals will be reviewed if and when an application is submitted.
The Conditional Use Permit process requires public notice, public hearings and final approval by county commissioners, allowing residents to provide testimony before any project moves forward. Commissioners also retain the authority to approve, deny or approve a proposal with additional conditions based on the specifics of each application.
County officials said work on Lincoln County's broader data center regulations will continue in the coming months, with additional revisions expected as the Planning Commission continues reviewing proposed standards.
Monday's vote represents another step in what county leaders have described as an ongoing effort to prepare Lincoln County for an industry that has generated significant public interest despite no formal proposal currently being before the county.