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Select Board sets Sept. 8 vote on temporary data‑center moratorium after planning board approval
Summary
After the planning board approved final wording for a temporary moratorium on data centers, the select board scheduled a special town voting session for Sept. 8 (state primary) to place the moratorium on the warrant; staff will post required notices and follow RSA timelines.
The Nottingham Select Board voted July 6 to place a temporary moratorium on data‑center development before the legislative body, scheduling a special voting session for Sept. 8 to present a warrant article adopted from the planning board's unanimously approved draft.
A select board member read an email from the planning board stating that the planning board “held its public hearing for the proposed temporary moratorium with data centers ordinance,” that the board had “voted on the final wording of the proposed ordinance, which passed unanimously,” and that the select board must now call a special town election for a legislative vote. The planning board action sets in motion the town’s timeline under state law.
Town staff and board members discussed logistics and legal timelines under state RSA provisions that limit certain permitting activity during the relevant window. The town administrator explained that the RSA grants the municipality up to 120 days to hold a voting session after the planning board’s public hearing and that, after consulting election officials and considering summer scheduling constraints, holding the vote on Sept. 8 (the state primary) was the most practical option.
Board members and staff emphasized the procedural steps that remain: finalizing a warrant question, posting the required notice at least 20 days before the voting session, confirming moderator/supervisor availability and completing the supervisors’ checklist. One select board member urged staff to double‑check legal deadlines and reporting requirements before public notice is published.
The board’s action signals the town will proceed with a public, legislative decision on whether to adopt a temporary moratorium intended to pause certain planning approvals for data‑center projects while the town considers zoning changes. The timing means the moratorium would not take effect until the legislative vote is held and certified.
The board directed staff to finalize logistics, coordinate with the town clerk and moderators, and publish the warrant language and notices required by RSA ahead of the Sept. 8 voting session.
