Jackie Guenther
•7/28/2026
Collier County commissioners unanimously voted to continue using "zoning in progress" while developing regulations for future data center projects. The discussion came during the Board of County Commissioners meeting as county leaders considered how to regulate future data center projects. Although there are currently no applications for data centers pending in Collier County, commissioners said they want to have rules in place before proposals begin arriving. Rather than adopting a formal one-year moratorium, the board voted to continue using a legal tool known as "zoning in progress." The process allows the county to temporarily pause development approvals while new zoning regulations are being drafted. Commissioners said they believe continuing the zoning-in-progress process is the best approach because it allows the county to keep making progress on developing regulations without imposing a separate moratorium. County staff told commissioners the focus will be on defining what qualifies as a data center, with particular attention given to hyperscale data centers, which are significantly larger facilities that require substantial amounts of land, electricity and water. The discussion follows direction the board gave staff on July 14 to begin researching regulations for data center facilities. County officials have been reviewing how other Florida communities are handling the issue as demand for large-scale data centers continues to grow. Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 484 into law, reaffirming local governments' authority to adopt reasonable regulations for data centers and defining different types of facilities under state law. County staff noted that many Florida counties have already taken action, with some adopting regulations that allow or prohibit data centers and others imposing temporary moratoriums while studying their impacts. With Tuesday's unanimous vote, Collier County will continue relying on the zoning-in-progress process as staff develops proposed regulations that will eventually be presented to the Development Services Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners for public review. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
