Lakeland officials are preparing to review a 12-month moratorium on large-scale computing facilities following heavy community pushback against a massive development project. The first public hearing on the matter is scheduled for Monday morning at city hall.
Lakeland Data Center Moratorium
City officials will hold a public hearing Monday at 9 a.m. at Lakeland City Hall to discuss the 12-month pause. A second public hearing is scheduled for July 20. The city attorney will present findings on how to define large-scale facilities and examine regulations used by neighboring jurisdictions.
During an agenda study last month, Commissioner Guy LaLonde noted the pause gives leaders time to research infrastructure capacity, noise pollution, traffic, and water demands. The proposed Project Swan, a 550,000-square-foot facility near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road, has raised concerns among neighbors about heavy energy consumption, water usage, and the impact on local wildlife.
Lakeland leaders directed city staff in June to draft the freeze ordinance following this community backlash. The developer has since paused the project to evaluate the city’s initial demands. Local resident Ashton Sharrett launched an online petition urging city leaders to pass the temporary ban.
LaLonde emphasized that taking a step back protects the community. “I believe that if we don’t take the time to hit the pause button to ensure we’re addressing this fairly, and considering not only the developers’ concerns — without prejudice — but also our citizens of Lakeland…” he said.
Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
