Marblehead considers ban on data centers
Marblehead officials are exploring a zoning bylaw that would prohibit data centers, citing concerns about their effects on community infrastructure and resources. The Planning Board took no formal vote, and staff are expected to develop draft language for review before the proposal could go to Town Meeting.
Marblehead Planning Board Chair Marc Liebman proposed exploring a zoning bylaw to prohibit data centers in the town, citing concerns about the strain such facilities can place on communities. He said town officials wanted to assess whether the board would support developing a definition and prohibition, and he endorsed pursuing the idea.
Liebman plans to work with Select Board members, Planning and Community Development Director Brendan Callahan and town staff on draft language for the Planning Board to review at its November meeting. Any proposal could later be presented to Town Meeting, but the Oct. 13 discussion was preliminary, with no formal vote or specific restrictions adopted. The article also notes that Salem City Council recently approved a data center ban.