Aurora City Council to discuss two data center ordinances Monday evening
Aurora City Council will discuss two data center ordinances concerning a ban on evaporative cooling mechanisms to address water usage and a zoning change preventing data centers near schools, houses, and mixed-use spaces. This follows the rejection of a proposed six-month moratorium on data center development.
The Aurora City Council is set to convene for a study session to deliberate on new ordinances regarding data center regulations. This meeting follows a recent decision where a proposed six-month moratorium on data center development failed to pass with a 6-5 vote, broken by the Mayor's tie-breaking decision. Conversely, a separate resolution advocating for the establishment of development standards for data centers, without including a moratorium, successfully passed.
Today's agenda includes discussions on two specific ordinances. The first proposes a ban on evaporative cooling mechanisms in data centers, a measure aimed at mitigating inefficient water usage within the city. The second ordinance concerns a significant zoning change, which would prohibit new data centers from being established near existing schools, residential areas, and mixed-use office spaces.
City officials noted that two existing data centers currently operate within these newly proposed restricted zones. Under the terms of the ordinance, these facilities would be permitted to remain in their current locations, indicating a grandfather clause for established operations. The ongoing discussions underscore Aurora's efforts to balance data center growth with community and environmental considerations.