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Select Board to consider public sessions and possible bylaw on data centers after preliminary review
Summary
A board member summarized research on the municipal impacts of large modern data centers — heavy utility and water use, limited local jobs relative to incentives — and the board agreed to hold public sessions, consult town counsel, and consider a bylaw or zoning changes modeled on Mansfield's action.
The Littleton Select Board held an initial discussion Tuesday on whether to pursue a moratorium or zoning change to limit very large data centers after a board member presented research on local impacts.
The presenting member said large, modern data centers can require dozens of megawatts of power and heavy water use and often rely on tax incentives that deliver limited long-term local jobs. He cited Mansfield's recent bylaw changes that limit certain high-capacity facilities and asked whether Littleton should consider a similar approach or a temporary moratorium while the town studies effects.
Board members asked questions about the scale of typical facilities, utility and land requirements, and how Littleton Electric Light & Water Department (LELD) would factor into any policy. Members directed staff to draft outreach and consultation steps, contact Mansfield and town counsel for sample language, and schedule public sessions to gather community input before placing a bylaw or zoning amendment on a warrant.
Why it matters: Modern hyperscale data centers can have outsized utility and land impacts. Towns are increasingly considering zoning or moratorium tools to ensure local infrastructure and environmental impacts are assessed before large facilities are permitted.
What's next: Staff was asked to consult town counsel, contact Mansfield for sample bylaws, and arrange public meetings; any formal bylaw or zoning change would follow public hearings and the town's regulatory process.
