The Cave City Council. GN1 FILE PHOTO
STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Cave City is updating its zoning ordinance to address both qualified manufactured homes and data centers.
Planning Director Kevin Myatt recently outlined the proposed changes, which are essentially the same adopted by Glasgow.
In the case of qualified manufactured homes the proposed change is intended in part to bring local rules in line with state law that was passed in 2025 to hopefully lessen the commonwealth’s housing shortage. Qualified manufactured homes could not be excluded from zones where single-family homes are already allowed under the proposed changes.
“One of the grey areas – and it’s extremely gray – is that it must be compatible with the tax rate of the neighborhood,” Myatt said. “It doesn’t say what the percentage is supposed to be, it just says compatible [and] I don’t know who determines that…. We, as the planning commission, had to get the language into [the Cave City] zoning ordinance to permit them…that compatible percentage has to come from the local level.”
Councilmember Leticia Cline suggested meeting in committee to discuss potential compatible percentages that will be outlined in a future city ordinance.
Myatt also said the draft ordinance would set new limits on where data centers can locate in the city. Under the proposal, data centers would be prohibited in all zoning classifications except heavy industrial areas and in those heavy industrial zones, data centers would not be allowed by right. Instead, they would be treated as a conditional use that must go before the local board of adjustments for review and possible approval.
“This doesn’t keep them from being here in one specific zoning classification [and] even then they have to go before your local board of adjustment,” Myatt said. “Any board of adjustment…can put any stipulation [on the development] that they deem necessary. They can get very detailed.”
“Any protection we can do as a national park city is great,” Cline added.
The proposed changes, as described by Myatt, would set clearer expectations for both residents and potential developers about where these uses can be considered within Cave City.
Key Facts
– Cave City is proposing updates to its zoning ordinance
– Changes would comply with a 2025 state law on qualified manufactured homes
– Qualified manufactured homes would be allowed in any zone permitting single-family residences
– Data centers would be prohibited in all zones except heavy industrial
– In heavy industrial areas, data centers would be a conditional use requiring board of adjustments approval
– Planning Director Kevin Myatt outlined the proposed changes
Michael Crimmins with Glasgow News 1 contributed to this reporting.
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