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Sparks council directs manager to draft zoning changes for data centers after public concerns about power, water and community impacts
Summary
After a public comment period with environmental and industry groups, Sparks City Council unanimously directed the city manager to draft amendments to Title 20 of the municipal code to revise where and how data centers can be sited and developed in the city.
Sparks City Council on Monday voted unanimously to direct the city manager to prepare proposed amendments to Title 20 of the Sparks Municipal Code to revise zoning and development standards for data centers.
The council’s action follows an extended public comment period in which residents and advocacy groups raised concerns about energy demand, potential water use, noise, diesel backup generators and whether data centers would shift costs to ratepayers. City Planner Sienna Reed told the council that data centers are currently allowed “by right” in three zoning districts and that proposed code changes could make some data center sitings subject to conditional use review and add development standards for noise, lighting, water use and residential adjacency.
Reed said Northern Nevada’s low natural-disaster risk, cool nights, land availability and state tax incentives have made the region attractive to…
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