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Developers to seek wetlands approval for Riverside data center; commission weighs environmental concerns
Summary
Commissioners were told the data‑center component of a previously proposed fuel‑cell project at 234 Riverside Avenue will require local wetlands and site‑plan approvals; the fuel‑cell piece was approved at the state and developers are preparing wetlands submissions while commissioners and members of the public raised environmental and noise questions.
Commission members reviewed updates on the 234 Riverside Avenue project — the site that previously attracted attention for a proposed fuel‑cell installation — and heard that the data‑center component still requires local approvals for wetlands and site plan work.
A committee member (S7) said the fuel‑cell element was approved at the state level but the data center needs wetlands approval locally. "So the environmental impact would be no different from any other, you know, development," the committee member said while describing the data‑center work as an office/data use; members discussed possible noise mitigation and sound barriers being part of the design.
Another commissioner recalled a highly visible Facebook post raising alarm about river impacts; commissioners said those concerns should be referred to the wetlands commission for technical review. The developer team has continued to meet with staff and intends to appear before wetlands and planning bodies as the next step.
Why it matters: The site’s proximity to a water body and prior public attention make wetlands review a necessary technical and public‑trust step. Commissioners emphasized that local wetlands and watershed rules will govern any approvals.
Next steps: Developers will seek wetlands commission review and proceed through local site‑plan steps; the commission expects subsequent reports as the developer completes technical submissions.
