Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Data Centers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts text amendments to allow data centers in light industrial zones with standards
Summary
Following a public hearing, council approved ordinance 0725 to amend planning and zoning code text to permit and regulate data centers in the M-1 light industrial district and require site plan review and standards intended to limit noise, traffic and visual impacts.
The City of Waterville’s council voted Monday to adopt ordinance 0725, a text amendment to the planning and zoning code that adds data centers as a use in the M-1 (light industrial) zoning district and sets conditions and review standards for such projects.
The amendment establishes setbacks from residences, requires site-plan and engineering review, applies commercial-overlay standards for architecture and landscaping, and calls for traffic and civil engineering analysis as part of development proposals. Planning staff framed the change as an effort to create a clear regulatory pathway rather than leaving potential applicants or neighbors uncertain about requirements.
City staff described the change as modeled on standards used in other Ohio municipalities and said the M-1 district’s existing prohibition on uses that produce objectionable odor, smoke, dust or noise remains central to design review. John Gokenauer, the city manager, told council that some data-center facilities self-contain power generation and that the city’s review will examine power and water needs in site-specific reviews.
During a public hearing, Dave Weber noted energy and water considerations and suggested the Maumee River could be a cooling water source for some designs. Councillors debated whether the code text was too prescriptive or an appropriate way to address community concerns in advance. Council member John Rozick argued that having explicit standards helps set public expectations; another council member said the rules may be more than required and preferred addressing specifics through conditional-use review.
Council approved the ordinance in roll-call votes after brief discussion. The ordinance directs that future projects meet the listed site-plan, landscaping, fencing and engineering requirements before final approval; any rezoning to expand M-1 or a specific data-center project would still require the standard review procedures and approvals.
The ordinance passage does not itself approve any specific project; it creates the zoning framework and review standards that applicants will need to meet.
