City Expected to Impose 18 Month Data Center Moratorium pending an Update of Zoning Ordinance
The City of Smithville is expected to adopt an 18-month moratorium on applications for data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations. This temporary halt will allow the city to study and update its zoning ordinance, which currently prohibits such facilities but lacks specific regulations.
Smithville, Tennessee, is on the verge of implementing an 18-month moratorium on high-density computing and data center developments. The city's mayor and aldermen were expected to vote on the ordinance at a special meeting on Wednesday, July 15.
The temporary ban aims to provide the city with time to research and update its existing zoning and land use regulations. Currently, the Smithville Zoning Ordinance does not explicitly permit data centers, effectively prohibiting them, as explained by Tommy Lee, Director of the Upper Cumberland Development District and advisor to the city.
Lee emphasized the need for a thorough study to introduce additional requirements in the zoning ordinance, ensuring long-term security and preventing hasty decisions regarding data center development within city limits.