Garfield Township Issues Moratorium on Data Centers
Garfield Township trustees unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities. This action aims to give leaders time to update zoning ordinances to better regulate such projects, addressing resident concerns about impacts like water, energy, and noise. A proposed small-scale data center by Cervenka Development Partners is now on hold due to this moratorium.
Garfield Township trustees have unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on the development of data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities. The decision, intended to provide township leaders with time to revise and update Garfield's zoning ordinance, came after extensive public input regarding the potential impacts of such projects.
Township Supervisor Joe McManus emphasized the importance of following a detailed process for enacting the moratorium to withstand potential legal challenges, noting other municipalities have lost court cases due to hastily implemented bans. The planning commission, in recommending the moratorium, highlighted issues like limiting data centers to specific industrial zones and changing their approval process from a "use by right" to a more intensive "special use permit." Concerns raised by residents include water usage and quality, energy consumption, noise, economic development promises, and infrastructure strain.
One project immediately impacted is a small-scale data center proposed by Illinois-based Cervenka Development Partners on Sybrandt Road. The company had submitted an incomplete site plan application, which will now be on hold for at least 12 months. Developer Tom Cervenka had previously expressed willingness to work constructively with the township, emphasizing their project's design around local characteristics and community concerns, including a closed-loop cooling system to minimize water demand and plans for sound and landscaping screening.