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Sustainability commission to draft memo on data‑center moratorium for Englewood City Council
Summary
The Englewood City Sustainability Commission agreed to prepare a memo for City Council outlining options on a potential data‑center moratorium, citing concerns about water and electricity use, legal complexity and community transparency. The commission aims to deliver a draft by June.
The Englewood City Sustainability Commission agreed to prepare a memorandum for City Council outlining options related to a potential moratorium or regulatory guardrails on data‑center development.
“ We just want this in a sense to have a voice and to pause, to make sure that we have transparent processes, and that the community gets involved,” said Hillary, a commission member, summarizing the commission’s rationale for compiling research rather than immediately adopting a ban. Members cited concerns about projected water and electricity use, noise and gaps in local oversight.
Commissioners said they reviewed examples from other jurisdictions and found mixed outcomes: several cities have considered temporary moratoriums while some have faced legal challenges. “The moratoriums are essentially to get information to the public. How much water are they gonna use? How much electricity?” Hillary asked, underscoring the information gap the memo is intended to address.
The draft memo is intended to give Council two clear tracks to consider: a short moratorium or pause while the city develops specific guardrails (for example, permitting thresholds for water usage or renewable‑energy requirements for new facilities) or targeted permitting conditions that restrict excessive utility draws. Commissioners discussed asking counsel to review legal feasibility before formal code language is drafted.
Commission members emphasized that job‑creation claims for data centers are often front‑loaded to construction and that permanent, local employment gains may be modest. “There’s job creation during construction, but then very few after that,” a member said, urging the memo to include balanced economic context.
Council member Summerson asked for a memo by June; commissioners said they would consolidate their research, circulate a draft for comment and forward a recommended memo to the council liaison for legal review. The commission also noted state legislative activity and referenced SB 26‑102 as an example of model language other jurisdictions are examining.
Next steps: the commission will consolidate a concise memo with options and high‑level recommended guardrails, seek a counsel review for legal sufficiency, and aim to present the draft to Council staff in June.
