Cromwell considers temporarily banning data center applications
Cromwell’s Planning & Zoning Commission is considering a six-month moratorium on new data center applications while it reviews proposed zoning amendments. Residents raised concerns about noise, air quality, health risks and water usage related to a proposed 100-acre data center, while the developer says the revised project would have limited water impacts and create more than 100 jobs.
Residents packed a Cromwell Planning & Zoning Commission meeting as officials considered temporarily preventing new data center applications for six months. The proposed moratorium would give the commission time to study zoning text amendments and address concerns about data center development in the town. Cromwell previously considered and rejected a one-year moratorium earlier in the year.
The meeting focused in part on a proposed data center on about 100 acres of farmland near a middle school and public park. Residents, including Jess Reis, cited concerns about health, noise, air quality and water supply. Mayor James Demetriades said the technology is emerging and that the town needs time to examine potential community impacts. The developer has revised the concept from seven buildings 500 feet from the school to six buildings 1,000 feet away, and says the smaller project would have limited water use, rely on an existing gas pipeline to power fuel cells, create more than 100 jobs and reduce electricity costs for Cromwell property owners.