Committee continues heated public hearing on proposed data‑center ban to April 14
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Summary
Councilors and public commenters debated an order to define and ban "data centers" citywide. Supporters urged a ban to buy time for regulatory drafting; developers said small projects would not stress utilities and urged regulation over prohibition. The committee continued the hearing to April 14 to allow the planning board and utilities (HG&E) to provide more information.
The Ordinance Committee opened a public hearing Feb. 24 on a multi‑sponsor order that would add a definition of "data center" to the zoning code and make the use prohibited in all city zoning districts. The hearing drew multiple public speakers, developer representatives and extensive council debate.
Councilor Panitch, who sponsored the order with other councilors, framed the measure as a protective pause: communities have experienced water and power strain and noise issues from some large data‑center projects, and Holyoke's existing site‑plan and review mechanisms may not yet provide the authority needed to require mitigation. "They have been known to be disruptive now in many communities... they use often a great deal of water," Panitch said, arguing the city is "vulnerable" without a regulatory structure.
Representatives of an applicant team, led by Benjamin Marshall, said the planned project is a small, local operation and not the large, multi‑hundred‑acre facilities drawing national headlines. Marshall said the team had discussed capacity with the utilities and water company and did not expect the small building they proposed to stress local infrastructure: "We're using existing power... we're not even gonna begin to stress the system," he said.
Other speakers, including property owner Mark Samwick, asked why existing land‑use procedures would not be sufficient; Samwick cited recent local projects that had gone through thorough review. Councilors said the planning board will review the issue and that legal counsel is investigating whether a moratorium or a zoning ban is the most appropriate immediate tool under state law.
After extended discussion the committee voted to continue the public hearing to April 14 at 6:30 p.m. to allow the planning board to prepare a recommendation and for city staff and utilities to provide technical information on grid and water capacity, enforcement authority and draft regulatory options.
No zoning change was adopted at the meeting; the committee left the hearing open to gather additional information before deciding whether to adopt a ban, a moratorium, or tailored regulatory language.
