Englewood planners discuss data-center zoning rules
Commissioners discussed possible regulations and an 18- to 24-month moratorium during a Sept. 9 study session, but took no vote or made a recommendation.
Englewood planning commissioners discussed how the city should regulate data centers during a Sept. 9 study session but took no formal action or made a recommendation.
The discussion followed City Council direction to examine how the city’s zoning code applies to data centers and whether new regulations are needed. The Planning and Zoning Commission session focused on potential water use, energy demand, noise and future development in the region.
City planning staff said data centers are not a defined land use in Englewood’s zoning code and do not fit neatly under another existing category. Industrial service was identified as the closest possible comparison, but staff said data centers differ in their scale, impacts and operations.
The city’s staff report and study-session materials outlined several approaches: leave data centers undefined; define and prohibit them in some or all zoning districts; allow them in limited districts; or require a conditional-use permit. A permit system could address water sourcing and consumption, electricity and utility capacity, backup power, noise at property lines, proximity to homes, future expansion and ongoing monitoring.
Several commissioners expressed preliminary support for a temporary moratorium, with discussion focusing on roughly 18 to 24 months. They said that time could allow the city to study the technology and compare regulations adopted by neighboring communities. The chair emphasized that the session was for study and that no recommendation was being made.
Commissioners discussed potential water use for cooling systems, including whether facilities would use potable or nonpotable water and whether cooling water would be reused. They also raised concerns about the electricity needed to operate data centers, regional grid capacity and whether power infrastructure serving a data center could limit other development.
Noise from heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment and backup generators was another concern, including generator testing and operation during outages. A commissioner also asked about pollution and air-quality effects.
If the commission later recommends a moratorium or another zoning change, City Council would decide whether to adopt it.