ORDINANCE NO. ______________, SERIES 2026
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AN ORDINANCE IMPOSING A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON REZONING, CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS AND PLAN CERTAIN, CATEGORY 2B AND 3 DEVELOPMENT PLAN APPLICATIONS RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATION HOTELS AND DATA CENTERS PENDING A REVIEW AND RECOMMENDED CHANGES BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION (AS AMENDED).
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SPONSORED BY: COUNCIL MEMBERS CHAPPELL, PARRISH-WRIGHT,
AND HAWKINS
WHEREAS, the Legislative Council of the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (the “Council”) passed Resolution No. 082, Series 2025 requesting the Planning Commission review the Land Development Code regarding Data Centers on September 25, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the expectation was that the review would take approximately six (6) months to complete (by March 25, 2026), with the resolution requesting Planning Commission recommendations within one hundred twenty (120) days of passage (by January 23, 2026); and;
WHEREAS, there was a contemporaneously introduced proposed moratorium on data centers pending the review and revisions which was never passed and instead expired on March 11, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the Council still has not received any recommendations from the Planning Commission, nor has a public hearing been held for the public to comment on and suggest potential changes and public hearings are currently being held by the Planning Commission on the Office of Planning’s recommended changes; and
WHEREAS, in light of the significance of the subject matter and the substantial delay, during the pendency of the ongoing review, the Council desires to preserve the status quo by preventing changes that might render the Planning Commission’s review meaningless.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I: There is hereby imposed a moratorium on the acceptance and further processing by Louisville Metro Planning & Design Services, Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Planning Commission, and Louisville/Jefferson County Board of Zoning Adjustment of any applications for rezoning, conditional use permits, and Plan Certain, Category 2B and 3 development plans that propose telecommunications hotels and/or data centers as one or more of the proposed uses. Applications that were scheduled for a public hearing as of the effective date of this Ordinance may continue to be processed and decided upon by those bodies.
SECTION II: There is hereby imposed a moratorium on the acceptance and further processing by Metro staff of any building permit application in connection with the repurposing of an existing structure for telecommunications hotels and/or data centers as one or more of the proposed uses.
SECTION III: This Ordinance shall take effect upon its passage and approval or otherwise becoming law and shall remain in effect for a period of one hundred eighty (180) calendar days after its effective date unless repealed, extended, or this Council takes final action on proposed changes to the Land Development Code regarding Data Centers.
_______________________________ _____________________________
Sonya Harward Brent Ackerson
Metro Council Clerk President of the Council
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Craig Greenberg Approval Date
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Michael J. O’Connell
Jefferson County Attorney
By: ____________________________
O-135-25 Temporary Moratorium On Data Centers.docx