South Bristol residents back proposed data center ban at public hearing
South Bristol residents strongly supported a proposed ban on data centers during a public hearing, but the Town Board has not yet adopted the restriction. The board is seeking planning-board input and conducting an environmental review before deciding whether to proceed.
Residents of South Bristol, New York, urged the South Bristol Town Board to prohibit data centers at a public hearing attended by about a dozen speakers, all of whom supported the proposed ban. The town has held three meetings where residents expressed support for restrictions, citing the community’s location along Canandaigua Lake and its role in the watershed.
The Town Board is consulting the South Bristol and Ontario County planning boards and reviewing the proposal under New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act. Town Supervisor Lisa Moore said she expects the board could adopt a ban before the end of 2026, but no final vote or adoption date has been set. Officials also heard from Dan Lamb, deputy supervisor of the Town of Dryden, which was described as the first New York municipality to adopt a data center ban.