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Lowell council gives first reading to data-center zoning amendment, refers measure to planning board
Summary
Council gave a first reading to an ordinance amending zoning rules related to data centers and referred the measure to the planning board for report and a March public hearing; councilors raised questions about definitions and suggested language tweaks before planning review.
The Lowell City Council gave a first reading to a zoning amendment addressing data centers and referred the measure to the Planning Board for a report and recommendation and set a public hearing for March 2026.
Councilors raised questions about the ordinance’s language and how it defines commercial housing for high-performance servers, with several members suggesting tweaks to ensure the text would not unintentionally capture banks or other uses. Solicitor Williams said he had no current legal concerns with the revised definition but offered to make specific changes if councilors proposed them; he suggested a subcommittee could be used for concentrated review.
The motion to refer the ordinance to the Planning Board passed and a public hearing was scheduled. A registered speaker (Eileen Castle) was present and registered her support.
Next steps: Planning Board will review and provide a report and recommendation ahead of the public hearing; councilors indicated willingness to transmit specific suggested edits to the solicitor prior to the next reading.
