Arcata’s Public Meetings Next Week: Housing! Data Center Moratorium! Kid’s Zone!
The Arcata City Council plans to consider extending its temporary moratorium on data center applications at an Oct. 28 meeting. Council members say potential data center demand for water and electricity could overload local utility infrastructure and want time to develop regulations before allowing such projects.
The Arcata City Council will meet Oct. 28 to consider extending a moratorium that currently prevents the city from processing data center development applications. The council initially approved the 45-day pause after citing concerns about the potentially large water and electricity demands of data centers and the effects on Arcata’s public utility infrastructure. No developer has submitted an application, although one company has expressed interest.
State law allows the moratorium to be extended for up to 10 months and 15 days if at least four of the five council members find an immediate threat to public health, safety or welfare. The city plans to use the extension to determine what types of data centers, if any, should be permitted. The council will also hold a joint workshop with the Arcata Planning Commission on the city’s 2027-2035 Housing Element and its requirement to plan for 1,042 new housing units.