[ { "provision": "365-day moratorium": In unincorporated Hernando County, the ordinance prohibits issuing development orders or permits for data centers for up to 365 days, or until the Board adopts the planned legislation, whichever occurs first. The moratorium may be extended once for up to an additional 120 days after required public hearings and findings. }, { "provision": "Broad development restrictions": During the moratorium, the County cannot approve or issue comprehensive-plan amendments, future-land-use-map amendments, rezonings, plats or replats, conditional-use approvals, variances, building permits, or other development orders or permits that would initiate, construct, expand, or modify a data center. }, { "provision": "Preliminary-plan processing freeze": The County will not accept or process applications for preliminary development plans for data centers or issue preliminary-plan approvals that would permit development of parcels as data centers during the temporary moratorium. }, { "provision": "Existing applications are preserved": Applications or petitions received before the ordinance's effective date continue under the County's normal procedures and are not subject to the moratorium. }, { "provision": "Final-plan and vested-rights exceptions": Building or construction permits may still be issued for a data-center development that received final development-plan approval before or during the moratorium. Applicants claiming common-law or statutory vested rights may also seek exemption through the specified appeal process. }, { "provision": "Extraordinary-hardship exception process": An exception may be granted only through a quasi-judicial hearing based on substantial competent evidence of extraordinary hardship. The request requires a $500 fee, public notice, and consideration of specified factors such as prior approvals, substantial expenditures, contractual commitments, lending obligations, and potential substantial liability. }, { "provision": "Enforcement penalties": Violations may result in revocation or temporary suspension of development permits, development orders, certificates of occupancy, or licenses; County code enforcement; or court actions seeking injunctive relief, civil penalties, or both. } ]

Applications submitted before the ordinance’s effective date continue to be processed under the County’s normal procedures, rather than being subject to the moratorium. any petitions or applications received prior to the effective date

Building and construction permits may still be issued for a data center development that received final development plan approval before or during the moratorium. does not have the effect of prohibiting the issuance of building or construction permits

Data centers lawfully constructed before the ordinance’s effective date under valid permits and approvals are not affected by the moratorium, provided they comply with applicable County, state, and federal requirements. shall not affect any development lawfully constructed

Applicants may seek an exemption based on common-law or statutory vested rights through the County’s existing appeal process, protecting rights that cannot be affected by later comprehensive-plan revisions or rezoning. common law vested rights or statutory vested rights

The governing body may grant an exception when delaying a covered application would impose an extraordinary hardship on the landowner or developer. The applicant must pay a $500 processing and advertising fee and prove qualifying circumstances, such as prior permits, substantial project expenditures, contractual construction commitments, financing obligations, or substantial monetary liability. may grant an exception

The moratorium applies only in the unincorporated area of Hernando County, so the ordinance does not impose this moratorium on data-center development in incorporated municipalities. in the unincorporated area of Hernando County