St. Charles Parish council rejects 8-month moratorium on data-center permits after contentious public hearing

St. Charles Parish Council members debated a proposed moratorium on data-center permitting for several hours on April 6 as dozens of residents and business representatives urged opposing courses of action. Councilmember Mary O'Daniels moved an amendment to shorten the ordinance's original 12‑month pause to eight months or until the council enacts specific data‑center regulations; the amendment passed, but the final moratorium measure failed on a council vote.

The ordinance would have blocked permitting, consideration, approval, location, construction or installation of data‑center facilities in the parish while staff and the council finalized rules for design, setbacks, screening, noise and operational requirements. Supporters of the pause said limited, time‑bound breathing room was needed to make sure any future project did not harm nearby neighborhoods. "A moratorium is a pause. It is not an opposition to investment," Councilmember O'Daniels told the chamber during the council discussion.

Residents who spoke during the public hearing described concerns ranging from noise and generator use to water and electricity consumption and uncertain local benefits. "I'd rather we take the 8 months than permit something we can't easily undo," said Joseph Coco, a resident who urged more study and clearer definitions of different types of data centers.

Industry and business groups cautioned that a moratorium would chill investment and could deter prospective economic development. Ray Rex, CEO of the River Region Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to rely on the targeted ordinance the administration had drafted and said the market needs certainty. An Entergy affiliate later spoke at other agenda items and discussed transmission needs for regional infrastructure.

Parish President Juul and other officials said staff had prepared a draft ordinance that would place the most intensive, on‑site power generation facilities in heavy industrial zones and create standards for smaller, lower‑impact facilities. "Data centers are not new. They've been around for decades," Juul said, adding that the proposed zoning framework would separate higher‑impact uses into M2 (heavy industry) while allowing lower‑impact facilities in M1 with protections for nearby residents.

Despite the amendment reducing the pause to eight months, the council's final vote failed to adopt the moratorium. Three council members voted in favor and a majority opposed the measure; one member was absent. The administration's draft zoning ordinance for data centers — which adds definitions, setbacks, noise and screening requirements and places hyperscale facilities in M2 — will proceed through the planning and zoning process for further review and public hearings, with expected council action at a later meeting.

Council members and residents said they expect the debate to continue as staff and the council work to refine the ordinance and respond to questions about noise, water and grid impacts, enforcement mechanisms and the local economic trade‑offs of different data‑center types.