Lakeland residents are expected to weigh in today as city commissioners hold a public hearing on a proposed temporary moratorium on new large-scale data center development.
The proposed ordinance would establish a one-year pause on approvals for hyperscale data centers, giving city officials additional time to study how the facilities could affect Lakeland’s infrastructure, utilities, traffic, water resources, and surrounding neighborhoods.
The proposal follows months of public concern over a planned development known as Project Swan. The project calls for a data center of approximately 600,000 square feet on property near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road in west Lakeland. Residents have raised questions about the project’s potential demand for electricity and water, as well as its environmental and community impacts.
City commissioners have said the proposed moratorium is intended to provide time for additional research before decisions are made on future data center projects. During the review period, officials are expected to examine how other communities regulate large-scale computing facilities and determine whether new local standards are needed.
The public hearing marks the first of two required readings of the ordinance. A second public hearing is scheduled for July 20, when commissioners are expected to consider final approval of the temporary moratorium.
Lakeland is one of several Florida communities reviewing restrictions on data center development. Similar moratoriums have already been approved in Hernando County, Citrus County, and the City of Zephyrhills, while other local governments continue evaluating how to address the rapid expansion of large computing facilities.
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