Palm Springs City Council Will Consider Extending Temporary Data Center Ban

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs City Council will consider extending a temporary moratorium on data center applications to two years in a council meeting next week.

In a council meeting on Aug. 26, council members unanimously voted an urgency ordinance establishing the moratorium to temporarily prohibit "the acceptance, processing or approval of applications and permits related to data centers" for a period of 45 days, according to a staff report. The ordinance is set to expire Oct. 10.

The city's municipal and zoning codes currently do not provide definitions or regulations to data centers and their uses, and there are no policies in effect for such uses.

The Department of Planning Services require additional time to conduct analyses of data centers in order to understand their uses and impacts and develop land-use regulations as a part of the ongoing citywide zoning code update process.

"Additional time is necessary to thoughtfully and thoroughly review these land uses both internally and with the community," according to the staff report.

As a result, city staff recommends extending the ordinance to a period of 22 months and 15 days.

The council meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.