Wright City tightens the rules on data centers
The Wright City Board of Aldermen approved a new ordinance regulating future data centers, establishing a new M-3 zoning district with strict requirements for setbacks, buffers, power, and water usage. The city opted for comprehensive regulations instead of a moratorium, despite resident requests, believing the ordinance to be sufficiently restrictive. This move aims to prevent data center developers from "railroading" the community as seen in surrounding areas.
The Wright City Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a new ordinance on August 27, establishing a new M-3 "Data Center Planned Development District" to regulate any future data center developments. This ordinance restricts data centers to this specific zoning classification and imposes a range of requirements on prospective facilities.
The regulations include significant minimum 500-foot setbacks from residential and agricultural property lines, along with mandatory 100-foot landscaped buffers and screening. Applicants are required to pay a $2,500 filing fee and submit a comprehensive site development plan. This plan must detail the proposed operation, including maximum power demand, cooling technology, anticipated water use, emergency power generation, projected construction schedules, and information regarding energy sources, including any planned renewable options.
During public comment, resident Rita Key inquired about implementing a moratorium on data centers. However, City Attorney Paul Rost and other officials, including Alderwoman Karey Owens, expressed concerns that a moratorium might simply push development to unincorporated areas just outside the city limits in Warren County, where Wright City would still experience negative impacts without any of the positive. Alderwoman Owens noted that the city had been working on this ordinance for several months to avoid situations where other communities were "railroaded" by developers lacking proper regulations.
Mayor Michelle Heiliger emphasized that having a clear policy in place provides a framework for developers to adhere to. Alderman Don Andrews and Alderman Russ Lyons suggested that the new ordinance's stringent requirements are so substantial that they might deter data center developers, effectively acting as a de facto moratorium. The city has not yet been approached by any data center developers, though rumors persist about potential projects.