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Commission reviews draft data‑center rules as town works through 12‑month moratorium
Summary
Staff outlined a draft ordinance that would define 'data center,' remove data centers as a permitted use in some office/corporate districts, and treat larger facilities as special land uses with requirements for utility verification, cooling, noise and decommissioning; the township remains under a 12‑month moratorium adopted Feb. 10.
The commission discussed an early draft of zoning text for data centers while staff continues work under a 12‑month moratorium the township board adopted Feb. 10. Patrick said the moratorium includes appeal provisions and that staff is roughly halfway through the 12‑month period; the current draft adds a specific definition of “data center” to Section 1.03, removes data centers from permitted uses in the Corporate Park and 01 Office Districts, and would make them special land uses in light‑industrial districts.
Patrick described possible application requirements for larger data centers: utility‑capacity verification from electric and water utilities, a statement of average and peak electrical demand, cooling and water‑use plans, any industrial pretreatment wastewater plans, noise studies, backup‑power/fuel‑storage disclosures, traffic and security analyses, and a repurposing/ decommissioning plan. He also proposed reviewing and potentially tightening Section 7.02 (noise, vibration and emissions) concurrent with data‑center rules and restricting evaporative water cooling while encouraging closed‑loop air cooling to limit water use.
Commissioners complimented staff for a comprehensive draft but cautioned about relying too heavily on development agreements to impose performance obligations; several members urged benchmarking practices from other municipalities and ensuring development agreements remain balanced and enforceable. Staff said the draft will evolve, and no public hearing is imminent while staff continues research. The commission agreed to continue the topic at future meetings as staff refines draft text.
Next steps: staff to continue drafting ordinance language, research comparative standards, and return as the draft matures.
