Data Center Moratorium Passed by Chillicothe Council
The Chillicothe Council unanimously passed a 60-day data center moratorium, legally blocking development within city limits. The legislation, which bypassed typical review procedures, was enacted following a proposed data center project at a former paper mill site and a lack of communication from its developer. This temporary ban uses the city's authority over building permits and rezoning.
The Chillicothe Council on Monday unanimously passed a 60-day data center moratorium on its first reading, effective immediately to legally block new data center development within city limits. The legislation, spearheaded by council member Kathy Dunn, bypassed standard three-day receipt and three-read rules, meaning it was not open for public review through multiple council sessions before its swift passage.
This action comes approximately a month and a half after the announcement of a proposed data center at a former paper mill site, which reportedly involves Aligned Data Centers in collaboration with AMD, projecting a $1.5 billion investment for an AI infrastructure campus. The city cited a lack of communication from the data center developer as a contributing factor to the moratorium.
Council member Dunn clarified that the ordinance utilizes the city's legal authority over building permits and rezoning to halt construction. Assisted by legal counsel Bricker Graydon Wyatt, the legislation suspends approvals for both "auxiliary" and "large-scale" data centers until October 23rd. Separately, Mayor Luke Feeney and an electronics worker addressed general data center concerns during the council session.