Fort Wayne City Council nixes data center moratorium
The Fort Wayne City Council rejected a proposed data center moratorium in a 4-4 vote and defeated a separate ordinance to create a commission examining hyperscale developments. The measures would not have affected Google's data center already under construction, while water use remains a concern in the city.
The Fort Wayne City Council rejected two ordinances intended to slow future data center development. A proposal from Councilwoman Rohli Booker to establish a committee examining the environmental and community effects of hyperscale facilities failed 3-5, while a proposed moratorium ended in a 4-4 tie.
The ordinances had been tabled since September. Booker said the measures were intended to give Fort Wayne time to establish rules before another project was proposed, not to close the city to development. Councilman Dr. Scott Meyers said the Fort Wayne Plan Commission is beginning work on definitions for data centers and hyperscale development. Neither proposal would have affected Google's data center, which is already under construction.