Lawrence KS data center special-use-permit text amendment (proposed)
Lawrence, KS — Planning Commission Recommends 6-1 Requiring a Special Use Permit for All Future Data Centers (September 2026)
Lawrence, KS · Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission, recommendation on data center special-use-permit text amendment (Sept. 21, 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Future data center developers in Lawrence
- Enforced by
- City of Lawrence Planning & Development Services; Lawrence City Commission
Lawrence's planning commission voted 6-1 on September 21, 2026 to recommend changing the city's land use code so that any future data center would need a special use permit. That would mean public hearings at which the Planning Commission and City Commission can both impose conditions on a project. The City Commission still has to vote. The change is separate from the two-year data center moratorium the City Commission adopted in July 2026.
Who is protected: Lawrence residents (public hearing and conditions on data center projects)
Legal detail
Land Development Code text amendment, one of two initiated by the Lawrence City Commission on 2026-07-14 alongside its 24-month moratorium (indexed as Lawrence KS 24-month data center moratorium (eff. July 14, 2026)). Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission recommended approval 6-1 on 2026-09-21 (Rexroad no). Effect: data centers would require a special use permit (two public hearings — Planning Commission and City Commission — with ability to impose conditions) rather than being permitted by right in industrial zones. Planner Drew Bealby: amendment 'wouldn't change anything about the moratorium.' NOT ESTABLISHED: City Commission hearing date; the second text amendment (study of water, energy, noise, setbacks, etc.) is not part of this recommendation per sources opened. review_by is a re-check date, not a scheduled vote.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Lawrence, KS |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission, recommendation on data center special-use-permit text amendment (Sept. 21, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located sources |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Planning Commission recommends adding more layers to approval process for data centers in Lawrence — Lawrence Journal-World |
More AI rules in Lawrence, KS
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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