WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — Fayette County commissioners voted Sept. 21 to impose a moratorium on new data center development in seven townships, halting zoning applications and building permits for such projects through June 1, 2027, according to meeting minutes.
The resolution bars county officials from accepting or processing any zoning certificate, rezoning request or building permit tied to the establishment or expansion of a data center or data processing center in unincorporated areas of Concord, Green, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Paint and Perry townships, unless a project is already authorized. Commissioners first proposed the freeze in early September before twice pushing back a vote.
Commissioners Tony Anderson and Donald Fleak voted for the resolution, which Fleak introduced and Garland seconded; the minutes list Anderson as “present” and Garland as “aye” on the roll call, and the motion carried. The board said the pause will give county officials and consultants time to study the impact of data centers on roads, utilities and emergency services while Fayette County finishes an update to its comprehensive land use plan, which is slated for completion by May 31, 2027.
Before taking up the moratorium, commissioners adopted a separate resolution limiting public comment on the issue to five minutes per speaker and 30 minutes total, citing the volume of interest in the topic. A group of residents then spoke on the proposal, and Paint Township resident Dan Drake presented the board with signed moratorium requests from seven townships, according to the minutes.
The vote followed weeks of annexation petitions tied to data center pushback in Jefferson Township, where landowners have sought to move farmland into the Village of Jeffersonville ahead of potential large-scale projects. Zoning Director Justin Hagler also briefed the board on the process for amending county zoning, and Planning Next consultant Sarah Kelly updated commissioners on the land use plan update, saying the first public engagement sessions are set for November.
In other business, commissioners voted to spend $186,000 through Enterprise Fleet Management to buy three outfitted vehicles for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, and approved an as-needed legal arrangement with FBT Gibbons for annexation-related advice at a blended rate of $425 an hour.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Fayette County Board of Commissioners.
