Residents urge Lockport City Council to formally ban data centers; council opts for master‑plan review

Emily, a Lockport resident, told the City Council on June 17 that she and neighbors want the council to adopt a formal ban on data centers, saying a press release that suspends discussion is not the same as law. “Let the city of Lockport take charge on this and formally ban data centers here,” she said.

Two other residents, Andrew and Noah, echoed that call. Noah argued that a press release ‘‘has no force of law’’ and urged the council to enact an ordinance if it intends to prohibit data centers. He also warned that state or federal rules could pre‑empt local authority and urged robust public participation in the city’s planning process.

Mayor (name not specified in the transcript) responded at length, saying the phrase “trust the process” refers to following existing land‑use and zoning procedures rather than relying solely on elected officials’ discretion. The mayor said council and staff had considered strict conditions — including requiring recycled effluent water, tighter emission limits and other controls — but that such limits are best weighed during the city’s five‑year master‑plan review. “We’ll wait until May,” the mayor said regarding that review. “If data centers are no longer something the community wants to do, then they’ll be off, and that’s perfectly fine with us.”

Council did not vote on a moratorium or ordinance at this meeting. Instead, the mayor and staff said they would rely on the formal master‑plan review and community workshops to determine whether data centers should remain an allowed use in Lockport. Staff and council also committed to additional public outreach; no formal changes to zoning were enacted during the meeting.

The public record shows strong neighborhood opposition in this meeting, and the council signaled it will use the established five‑year review process and community input to decide whether to remove or restrict data‑center uses in the city’s zoning code.