Pinellas County Commissioners Uphold Ban on Standalone Data Centers in Unincorporated Areas

Pinellas County commissioners affirm ban on standalone data centers in unincorporated areas

Pinellas County commissioners moved to solidify their stance against standalone data centers in unincorporated areas, directing staff Tuesday to draft a resolution. This action clarifies that the county’s development code already prohibits such facilities as a primary use, responding to significant community concern.

The decision came after County Attorney Jewel White advised against a moratorium, explaining that enacting a ban on something already disallowed could create confusion. “I would be hesitant to enact a moratorium on something that is not currently allowed because I feel like that would give the impression that it is in fact allowed,” White said.

Commissioner Brian Scott highlighted the public’s role in the decision, noting that citizens had sent numerous messages requesting a moratorium. He believes a resolution will help build public trust by clearly stating the county’s intent.

The county received two inquiries about potential data centers, though neither progressed to a full application. One inquiry concerned an unincorporated area of Pinellas, while the other targeted Pinellas Park. Pinellas Park itself approved a one-year moratorium on August 11, following a proposal from American Tower Corporation for a 17,000-square-foot data processing facility at 10700 76th Court N. Residents in Pinellas Park raised concerns about utility consumption, noise, and other potential impacts.

This resolution does not affect existing, smaller computer infrastructure used by essential institutions. Hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations already operate such setups to support their daily functions. Commissioner Scott drew a distinction between these operational facilities and large-scale, enterprise-level data centers, like those operated by Google or Amazon, which can span acres.

The county staff will now draft the resolution, which will formally declare that standalone data centers are not permitted in unincorporated Pinellas County.