Commissioners split over whether modern data center fits Charlestown’s light‑industrial code
Board members debated whether the city’s 2003 L‑1 (light‑industrial) rules — intended for enclosed, low‑impact operations — apply to contemporary 3–5 MW data centers; staff and the building commissioner said the petition meets code as written, while some commissioners argued the code does not anticipate modern energy, water and noise footprints.
The full story
Members of the advisory plan commission sparred over a central legal question: can a modern, standalone data center with multi‑megawatt power draw and exterior cooling equipment be treated as a light‑industrial use that produces no nuisance outside the building?
Sign up to keep reading.
Your free newsletter brings you what your city council, county, and school board discussed and decided.
Keep reading for free
Create a free account to finish this story and see the video, transcript and key details.
Continue with GoogleContinue with emailAlready have an account? Log in