Planning committee calls for emergency one-reading moratorium on data centers in Baberton

Councilor Haddock, chairing the Planning, Annexation & Codes committee on Nov. 3, introduced and called for a moratorium on data centers in the city of Baberton, asking that the ordinance be prepared with "emergency wording and one reading" so council can act quickly. "We do have 1 request tonight. It is a request from myself to create a moratorium on data centers within the city of Barberton. Emergency wording and 1 reading requested," Haddock said. The motion was made and seconded in committee and the ayes were recorded.

Committee members discussed that the moratorium request was intended to pause any pending or new data-center developments while staff and council consider zoning, technical standards and other regulatory requirements. The committee did not in the transcript provide ordinance text or a defined geographic scope; councilor Haddock indicated staff would draft the proposed language and share additional materials for review. Assistant planning staff and the planning director's office were noted as points of contact for the draft.

The transcript records a committee-level voice vote recorded as "Aye. Aye. Aye." but does not list individual roll-call tallies in the minutes. The motion was advanced out of committee for full council consideration under emergency, one-reading procedures.

Next steps: Planning staff to prepare draft moratorium language and circulate it for council review; the committee requested expedited handling consistent with the emergency/one-reading request.