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Select Board weighs moratorium/procedural options for data centers and other high‑resource uses
Summary
Board members discussed whether to pursue a narrowly focused data‑center moratorium or a broader zoning approach to limit high‑energy, high‑water developments, and reviewed procedural paths including public hearings and town‑meeting articles.
Select Board members debated whether to seek a moratorium focused specifically on data centers or to broaden any pause to cover other large, resource‑intensive uses. Members emphasized that the key concern is resource consumption — energy and water — rather than a particular industry.
One member warned that narrowly targeting data centers could leave openings for other uses that consume equivalent resources, and counsel’s input and state guidance (from the Healey administration) were cited as relevant to any moratorium’s design and enforceability. Board members discussed the mechanics: opening a public hearing could establish an effective pause date while a zoning article or town‑meeting vote would be needed for a longer‑term change.
Why it matters: Potential moratoria or new zoning language would affect future development proposals and utility planning. The Select Board asked staff and planning partners to identify what specific thresholds (energy, water, footprint) they might use and to bring options for public hearings and ordinance language.
