Lowell moves toward regulations on data centers
Lowell is moving to overhaul its outdated zoning code by developing new regulations for data centers, prompted by a 360-day moratorium enacted in March. The Department of Planning and Development will present two options to the City Council in October, incorporating community feedback on concerns such as noise, water usage, and electricity impacts. This effort aims to address the lack of specific standards for data center facilities in current zoning.
The City of Lowell's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is preparing to present two options to the City Council in October for new data center regulations. This initiative follows a 360-day moratorium on data center expansion and new construction, which the City Council enacted in March to allow time for updating zoning and planning regulations.
Assistant City Manager and DPD Director Yovani Baez-Rose confirmed that the zoning rewrite will align with the passed moratorium, aiming to introduce standards for data centers, including buffer zones, noise, screening, and protections against water and electricity rate impacts. Currently, Lowell's zoning code lacks a definition for data centers and specific operational standards. CommunityScale, an urban planning consultancy, is assisting the city with this update. Lowell's DPD has actively sought community input, hosting a public forum that drew over 200 participants and gathering more than 55 comments online, with residents expressing concerns ranging from outright opposition to calls for community benefits agreements.
While the Markley Group operates the only data center in Lowell, its existing facility will be exempt from the new zoning regulations as a pre-existing non-conforming use. The company has launched a website, "Keeping Lowell in the Loop," to address growing community and leadership pushback by highlighting its local investments and contributions. Councilor Kim Scott, who authored the moratorium motion, noted that other cities like Holyoke, Massachusetts, have permanently banned new data centers, and Loudoun County, Virginia, is considering an additional moratorium, underscoring the broader trend of communities grappling with data center development.