Medford to discuss data centers at Wednesday study session
Medford City Council and the planning commission are holding a study session to discuss potential regulations for data centers, including limits on size and zoning. Currently, there are no active data center applications in Medford, but the city is proactively seeking direction on how to interpret its land development code regarding these facilities. This is a controversial issue drawing public attention.
The Medford City Council and planning commission are scheduled to convene on Wednesday for a study session to deliberate various topics, with a specific focus on data centers. This joint meeting is one of a few held annually to provide guidance on land use and planning matters. City officials have confirmed that there are no active applications for data centers within Medford at this time.
During the session, the city intends to consider several options for regulating data centers, such as imposing building size limitations, restricting their placement to specific zones, or establishing comprehensive development standards. Currently, Medford's Land Development Code permits data centers in all commercial and light industrial zones. The city is proactively seeking direction from the council and planning commission on how to interpret existing code and whether to implement new restrictions, acknowledging that data centers are a controversial issue attracting significant public attention. If clear directives for code changes are provided, the implementation process is expected to take several weeks to months.