Saginaw City Council Approves Data Center Ordinance
The Saginaw City Council has approved a new ordinance classifying data centers as special land uses in industrial zones, requiring planning commission approval and adherence to new rules. The ordinance, effective October 9, mandates specific setbacks, noise limits, and public meetings for developers, along with reports on water, energy, and noise impacts. A moratorium on data center development remains in place through the end of the year.
The Saginaw City Council unanimously approved a new ordinance on Monday, classifying data centers as special land uses within the city's light industrial and general industrial districts. This change, which takes effect on October 9, means that data center developers will now be required to obtain approval from the Saginaw Planning Commission for their projects.
The new regulations, passed with an 8-0 vote (Mayor Pro Tem Priscilla Garcia was absent), introduce several requirements for data center development. These include a minimum 500-foot setback from residential properties, a noise limit of 55 decibels at the nearest residential property line, and a mandate for developers to hold at least two neighborhood meetings during the development process. Additionally, developers must submit comprehensive reports detailing water usage, energy demand, noise, and other potential environmental impacts.
Despite the approval of the new ordinance, a pre-existing moratorium on data center development within Saginaw remains in effect until the end of this year.