Canton enacts one‑year moratorium on data center development after public hearing

The Town of Canton voted unanimously on July 1 to adopt Local Law No. 2 of 2026, imposing a moratorium on new data center development through May 31, 2027.

The reading of the proposed law at the start of the public hearing described the moratorium as covering “all data center development in the town of Canton, County of Saint Lawrence, New York until 05/31/2027,” with existing operations using less than 20 megawatts of power exempted. The law states it will take effect upon filing with the town clerk and the New York secretary of state.

Residents and local group leaders who spoke during the hearing largely supported a pause but urged changes. Kathy Schrade, chair of the Canton Sustainability Committee, said the town should strengthen the draft by extending its length, adding enforcement provisions and clarifying severability and penalties. “We strongly urge you to allow for a longer moratorium,” Schrade said, citing other municipalities that adopted multi‑year moratoria.

Several speakers pressed similar points. Kathleen Stein, president of the Wheatland Voters of St. Lawrence County, said more time is needed for economic and environmental impact reviews; Laura Chambers, a Canton resident, warned that data centers can impose heavy noise, water and energy demands and questioned whether long‑term jobs would benefit local residents.

Town board members described the choice of a one‑year moratorium as deliberate. The chair said a shorter, extendable moratorium lets the town hold periodic public hearings to update residents on progress and offers an opportunity to extend the pause if more time is needed. The board noted prior experience drafting local rules for solar projects and said county staff would assist with technical work.

A town advisor cautioned that from a legal perspective, moratoria that are time‑limited and extendable are generally more defensible than indefinite multi‑year bans. The advisor said enforcement mechanisms are available under the town’s zoning code and through state court if necessary.

The board moved and seconded the adoption of the moratorium and approved it by voice vote. The vote was recorded as three ayes in favor of enacting the local law; no opposing votes were recorded on the meeting transcript.

What the law says and next steps: The moratorium text defines a data center broadly (servers, networking equipment, environmental control systems, backup power, and related infrastructure) and exempts existing smaller operations that use less than 20 megawatts. The law’s effective date is tied to official filing; the board said staff will prepare implementation steps, form a drafting committee that may include code enforcement and board members, and consult county officials as needed. If the board determines more time is required, it said it can hold another public hearing to extend the moratorium.

The board did not adopt additional enforcement language or an immediate multi‑year extension at the July meeting; several speakers and community members said they may provide draft language for the town to consider in future hearings.