Broken Arrow pauses new data centers while leaders study community impacts.
The Broken Arrow City Council has approved a six-month moratorium on new data center developments to study their community impacts. This pause means no new requests for rezoning, building permits, or other development approvals for data centers will be processed. City leaders plan to use this time to create formal guidelines for future projects.
The Broken Arrow City Council recently voted to enact a six-month moratorium on new data center developments, effective immediately. The decision, made on Monday, means the city will temporarily cease accepting, processing, or approving any requests related to data center construction, including rezoning applications and building permits.
City leaders stated that the pause is intended to provide them with time to thoroughly study the potential impacts of these facilities on the community. The goal is to develop formal guidelines and regulations for data center projects moving forward. While there are currently no data center projects under active development, a letter of intent from a prospective company to purchase land off Highway 51 and the Creek Turnpike expired last week. The council has the option to extend the moratorium for an additional six months.