MASSILLON – Officials have started a conversation on zoning changes aimed at permitting data centers to operate within the city.
In part of a May 26 work session, City Council briefly discussed a series of legislative proposals setting guidelines for developers to follow prior to construction of a new center.
The four-page legislation looks to define smaller-scale data centers as 100,000 square feet or less per parcel, and larger ones as 100,000 square feet or more. Smaller centers would be assigned light-industrial (I-1) zoning, while larger structures fall under heavy industrial (I-2.)
An example of a local 100,000 square-foot building would be the Massillon Recreation Center.
Utilities such as electric, water and wastewater must be in line prior to the city signing off on construction plans for a data center, according to Ted Herncane, Massillon’s development director.
“Utility companies (and the city engineer for wastewater) will need to certify they can supply (services) to a data center before city approval,” he said. “We think this is a common sense approach to take.”
Varying setbacks for larger and smaller data centers from residential districts are also part of the zoning legislation.
Planned data centers are an ongoing concern to many Stark County residents, as one is in the works for Perry Township.
A data center developer also has eyes on the Massillon Technology and Energy Park ― the former site of Republic Steel ― as a potential location down the road. That area is zoned heavy industrial.
The city’s legislation on data center zoning is up for first-reading consideration by council at its next regular meeting, scheduled June 1. Members expect discussion on the issue to run multiple weeks.
“I think we definitely need to have some zoning in place (for data centers),” said Councilman Mike Gregg, R-Ward 3. “It’s good that we get ahead of this before a company fully wants to come in.”
Stark County governments taking action on potential data centers
Data centers store routers, servers and other storage systems to support cloud-based computing and artificial intelligence.
Some governments in Stark County have taken action to prohibit or accommodate the potential development of data facilities.
Five weeks ago, Massillon council altered a 180-day moratorium pertaining to data centers to a “60-day stay,” noting that the city’s zoning code should not take six months to update.
In April, Canton Township officials approved a one-year moratorium related to data center construction amid public concerns. Plain Township trustees approved a 12-month moratorium on March 24.
Noise and how data centers use electricity and water, the effect of wastewater on an area and aesthetics were some reasons mentioned by residents.
Perry Township trustees on March 24 voted 2-1 to approve a 30-year property tax abatement for a planned data center site off Faircrest Street SW, despite opposition by numerous residents. Canton City Council approved the abatement May 18, as it relates to an existing Joint Economic Development District with Perry.
Reach Steven Grazier at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @sgrazierINDE
This article originally appeared on The Independent: Massillon rolls out initial legislation to address data center zoning
Reporting by Steven M. Grazier, Massillon Independent / The Independent
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