Massena petition seeks voter referendum to enact three-year data center moratorium
A Massena resident is leading a petition drive to ask the Massena Town Board to authorize a voter referendum for a three-year moratorium on new data center development. The initiative aims to allow the town to study environmental, economic, and infrastructure impacts and establish appropriate zoning and environmental standards. Petitions with sufficient signatures will be presented at the August 19 town board meeting.
David Fenton, a resident of Massena, New York, is spearheading a petition drive to urge the Massena Town Board to authorize a voter referendum. This referendum seeks to enact a three-year moratorium on the approval, permitting, and construction of new or expanded data centers within the town. Fenton plans to present the collected petitions to the town board at its upcoming monthly meeting on August 19.
Fenton stated that the petition effort is gaining momentum, with volunteers actively circulating petitions and collecting signatures both in person and via email. The organizers aim to gather 300 to 400 signatures to counter potential challenges, surpassing the required 174 signatures, which represent 5% of Massena residents who voted in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
This isn't Massena's first experience with a moratorium on such operations; the town previously enacted and extended one starting in 2018 to regulate cryptocurrency mining, finalizing a local law in September 2024. Fenton highlighted that the previous regulations, drafted by Town Attorney Eric J. Gustafson, did not adequately address environmental or infrastructure concerns, focusing primarily on property tax issues related to containerized operations.
The current petition emphasizes the need to safeguard Massena residents' long-term interests and ensure future development aligns with community priorities and environmental stewardship. Proponents argue that a temporary pause would allow the town to comprehensively review environmental, economic, and infrastructure impacts; develop clear zoning, energy usage, and environmental standards; and protect vital community resources like water and energy capacity. Concerns were also raised about data centers' high electricity consumption and limited permanent job creation, and members of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe have also voiced opposition.