LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Urban County Council announced it will schedule a special public hearing on data center zoning regulations, marking another step in the city's effort to craft rules for facilities that have drawn significant community concern.

The Special Committee of the Whole meeting will be held on October 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Government Center on East Main Street, according to a release from the Office of the Urban County Council. The council will consider recommendations from the Planning Commission on how to update local zoning rules to regulate data centers.

Fifth District Council Member Liz Sheehan, chair of the General Government & Planning Committee, said in the release that the council "decided to call a special meeting to hear directly from our neighbors and to continue giving this issue the attention and transparency it deserves." She noted the evening time was chosen to make the hearing more accessible to residents than the council's typical afternoon meetings.

The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed zoning amendments on July 30, with community members filling multiple rooms to testify. The proposed regulations would prohibit major data centers larger than 50,000 square feet and restrict smaller facilities to certain warehouse and industrial zones.

The effort follows a moratorium the council unanimously approved in June 2026 that pauses permits, development plans, and zone changes related to data centers in Fayette County until October 31, 2026. The moratorium was prompted by a potential data center development at the former Lexmark Data Center site.

The council will formally schedule the October 6 meeting during its August 25 Work Session. Before that, planning staff will present an informational presentation to the General Government & Planning Committee on September 8. Residents can submit written feedback through the Engage Lexington platform at Engage.LexingtonKY.Gov/DataCenters.