Development News for Bowling Green, Kentucky

City Commission Considers Stricter Zoning for Data Centers, Adds Conditional Use for Heavy Industrial Zones

The City Commission held a first reading on an ordinance to amend zoning regulations concerning data centers and battery energy storage systems. The proposed changes, developed by the Planning and Zoning Commission, introduce specific use standards, including significant setbacks from residential areas and other sensitive locations. The ordinance also includes design standards for building facades, requirements for utility impact plans to be submitted and paid for by the applicant, and a decommissioning plan. A motion was made and passed to amend the ordinance to require a conditional use permit for data centers in heavy industrial zones, mirroring the requirement for light industrial zones, ensuring public hearings for neighborhood input. The ordinance aims to provide a framework for regulating data centers, with its effective date contingent on a second reading or automatic implementation after a 90-day period if no vote is taken.