WEATHERSFIELD — Even though no company has submitted an application to locate a data center in the township, trustees said they want to be prepared and have guidelines in place, so they voted 3-0 earlier this week on a six-month moratorium.
Township Administrator David Rouan said the moratorium went into effect Thursday and will allow the township zoning commission to obtain more information on data centers and have regulations and guidelines in place to address them.
The moratorium requires the zoning commission to conduct a review of data centers and develop zoning changes or restrictions needed to protect the township.
Rouan said Niles city officials have been in talks with a company interested in property off Belmont Avenue for a proposed data center. Part of that property is located in Weathersfield.
Rouan said current zoning regulations prohibit data centers in industrial-zoned districts. The land off Belmont is zoned industrial, but a zoning variance would be needed to build a data center.
Trustees previously issued a statement after public concern surrounding the proposed data center development 1047 Belmont Ave. They said the property in question consists of four parcels. One parcel lies within Niles, while the remaining three parcels are within Weathersfield. Those three parcels are zoned Industrial B, and under the zoning regulations, data centers are neither a permitted use nor a conditionally permitted use within that district.
Trustees said previously that for such a project to proceed in the township, the developer would be required to apply for a variance, which would trigger a formal public hearing before the Weathersfield Board of Zoning Appeals.
Whitetail Creek LLC, also known as Bitdeer, was involved with a public hearing in April in Niles where at that time, the township was informed that the company had initiated a petition to annex the three parcels from Weathersfield into Niles. The property is where a former Ohio Edison power plant once operated.
“While annexation proceedings are governed by state law, the township is actively engaged and will pursue all available measures to ensure that any potential development does not negatively impact our community. This includes working collaboratively with the city of Niles to negotiate a comprehensive preannexation agreement that establishes enforceable protections related to issues such as land use compatibility, infrastructure impacts, environmental considerations, public safety, and quality of life,” trustees said in their statement.
Officials said large-scale data center developments raise legitimate concerns, including noise, energy demand, water usage, traffic and long-term community impacts. At Thursday’s special meeting, trustees said the six-month moratorium applies to building, zoning or approval of data centers.
The moratorium legislation includes electrical grid impacts, utility costs, environmental concerns, water usage, sanitary sewer and discharge impacts, noise emissions, and traffic and infrastructure impacts.
Weathersfield resident Jeff Shiley, who has attended several recent trustee meetings with concerns about the data center, said he and other residents are concerned about annexation and loss of property taxes to the township.
Weathersfield Trustee Chairman Steve Gerberry said the situation has not reached the annexation discussion stage and will address it if it gets to that point.
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