Indiantown is considering a moratorium on data centers as residents and village officials raise concerns about the potential impact of the developments on local infrastructure and the pace at which they are being proposed.
The discussion comes as the newly elected Village Council considers how to address large-scale developments. Martin County also began discussions earlier this week about a potential moratorium on data centers.
One resident told the council that multiple data center-related proposals had recently moved through the village's development process, prompting concerns about the speed of activity.
"One day alone last week, Aug. 24, two different movements took place on data centers here. Just after the election, because things are moving through your portal so fast in your development team," the resident said.
Councilmember Janet Hernandez proposed that the village explore a moratorium while also holding a workshop on large-scale developments. She said the village needs time to evaluate whether its existing infrastructure can support potential data centers.
"I would also like to speak about the village attorney in regards of drafting a zoning and progress ordinance," she said. "It would be a resolution in regards to hyper-scale data centers, because we know that there's a lot of infrastructure that will be impacted. It's not intended to create unnecessary burdensome regulations, but it's intended to give us time to review our water and utility capacities."
Village Attorney Wade Voss said a moratorium would have to follow the village's land development regulation process, including public notice and hearings.
"Any sort of moratorium ordinance, again, putting aside my previously stated and time unique concerns about the application of SB 180, any moratorium ordinance is a land development regulation that would have to go through the land development regulation process for adoption," Voss said. "And that includes certain advertising requirements. It includes going through the PZAB as well as the council. We can start working all of that as quickly as possible and have something for you to take a look at at your next council meeting."
Some council members also questioned whether the village could direct staff to begin the process without first placing the matter on an agenda. Voss said a special meeting could provide an opportunity for the council to formally give that direction.
"Taking an action to proceed in this manner, having it be something on an agenda to do that and holding a special meeting so it can be agended so that that direction can be formally given with an agenda item. Certainly with the direction of the council, we can set a special meeting to make that happen," Voss said.
The discussion also drew Bob Raynes, an attorney representing Silver Fox 606, one of the applicants for a proposed data center in Indiantown. Raynes said his client believes a moratorium or zoning-in-progress measure would be improper and that the company intends to challenge the village's position.
"We're a little disappointed, but not surprised about a possible moratorium or zoning in progress, whatever you want to call it. We do believe that that would be wrong. There are property rights that our client has and expectations that he had when the property came about," Raynes said. "We also believe that Senate Bill 180 would prohibit such a moratorium or zoning in progress. That's our legal opinion, and we'll certainly bring that forward."
The council ultimately voted unanimously to hold a special meeting Sept. 1 to further consider the issue.
Council members are expected to discuss the potential merits of a moratorium and the possible impacts of data centers. Any further action would require additional meetings and public notice.