Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Ordinance committee continues public hearing on proposed ban of data centers after hours of testimony
Summary
The Holyoke Ordinance Committee on Feb. 24 paused debate on a proposed zoning amendment that would define and bar data centers citywide, continuing the public hearing to April 14 to allow time for planning‑board review and technical study. Committee members cited concerns about water, power and regulatory capacity; proponents argued a pause is needed to create enforceable rules.
HOLYOKE — The Ordinance Committee continued a contentious public hearing on Tuesday on a proposed zoning amendment that would add a definition of "data center" to the zoning code and prohibit the use in every zoning district.
"The idea is just stop them all now," Councilor Panitch, a sponsor of the order and a member of the planning‑board contingent, said during the hearing, urging a pause while the city establishes review and permitting tools. Panitch said data centers can create large, often unpredictable demands on water and power, present noise and equipment‑siting challenges and that the city currently lacks the regulatory toolkit to mitigate those risks.
Supporters of that approach — including Councilors Talheimer and Rivera — said…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
