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Longview council amends zoning to require special-use review for data centers and cryptocurrency mining
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing and debate, the Longview City Council adopted ordinance 3554 with changes that separate data centers from cryptocurrency mining and require a special-use review before either can be approved in industrial zones.
Longview City Council on March 13 adopted ordinance 3554 to amend the city's zoning code for data centers and cryptocurrency mining, voting to require special-use review before either type of facility could operate in zones where they might be allowed.
The council's action came after a public hearing that drew residents, business representatives and county officials, and months of work by planning staff and the planning commission. Planning staff recommended clarifying definitions for data centers and adding cryptocurrency mining to the Longview Municipal Code (LMC) use table; the planning commission had earlier recommended more restrictive language.
Why it matters: The ordinance changes how applicants seeking to open high-energy server facilities or cryptocurrency-mining operations are reviewed. Rather than treating all such uses as automatically permitted, the city will now require an additional public-review step'a special-use permit hearing'so council, neighbors and other agencies can examine site-specific impacts including noise, water and power use.
City planning staff presented the draft text to the council, describing two parallel code changes: a set of development standards and a specific definition for "data center" added to LMC chapter 19.09, and a separate definition for "cryptocurrency mining" plus placement of that use in the LMC 19.58 industrial zoning use table. Staff told the council the planning commission originally recommended removing data centers or treating them differently but later asked for clearer separation of "data center" and "cryptocurrency mining."
Speakers at the hearing raised questions about how the two uses differ in practice. Michael O'Neil, a Longview resident, asked, "I wonder, like, technically, is there any difference between using a bunch of servers with fans and lots of electricity for a data center versus using it for crypto? I don't understand what those differences are." City staff and other speakers said the difference can be in the equipment, the continuous power draw, the cooling strategies and the possibility of different neighborhood impacts (noise, water use, employment levels).
Council debate focused on whether to prohibit cryptocurrency mining outright, allow it as a permitted use, or require special-use review. Council members proposed and debated several amendments. After sequential amendments and votes, the council adopted ordinance 3554 as amended to treat both data centers and cryptocurrency mining as uses subject to special-use review in the applicable zoning districts. The vote followed public comments urging caution about water consumption, noise and electric load for large facilities, and others urging the city not to foreclose on potential economic development.
The council emphasized that approval of ordinance 3554 does not approve any specific project; it only changes how future proposals will be considered. Any development seeking approval will still need to submit a site-specific application and meet conditions set by the special-use process. The city will retain the ability to negotiate conditions, require mitigation, and consult other agencies including utilities.
Quotes from the record: "If a project does come here, we would still have to do that, that fee, working with the PUD and any other government entity," a staff member said during the hearing. Mike Claxton, identified as a member of the city, urged careful coordination with the Cowlitz PUD and cited examples from other counties where data centers have affected utility supply and rates.
Next steps: Ordinance 3554 is adopted as amended; staff will publish the updated LMC language and update application and permit procedures. Projects proposing data centers or cryptocurrency mining will be reviewed under the new special-use permit process.
Ending: Councilmembers and several public speakers said they expect future applications to trigger further technical analysis of energy, water and noise impacts. The council did not authorize or deny any particular project at the March 13 meeting.
