Political Notebook: South Hadley voters reject controversial Proposition 2½ override

The article details several political developments in Massachusetts, with a notable focus on municipal efforts to regulate data centers. In Everett, the Planning Board has approved an ordinance aimed at proactively restricting AI data centers within the Everett Docklands Innovation District. This proposed amendment to the zoning code would necessitate a special permit for data center projects, limit their footprint to 20,000 square feet or five megawatts of capacity, and require them to be secondary to larger developments rather than standalone facilities. The proposal awaits two approvals from the City Council before it can become effective. While The Davis Companies, the developer for the Docklands site, has not put forward a data center proposal, they note that data centers are currently an allowable use under the city's existing zoning. Environmental groups, such as the Mystic River Watershed Association, have voiced opposition, citing potential negative environmental impacts and unproven community benefits. This action by Everett's Planning Board follows a decision in Lowell, Massachusetts, where the City Council unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center construction in March, becoming the first municipality in the state to do so. These local initiatives are emerging despite Massachusetts Governor Healey's stance against a statewide ban on data centers, as she views them as essential for the state's "innovation economy." Massachusetts currently hosts 46 data centers, with a concentration in Boston and other Gateway Cities. The article suggests that other cities across the Commonwealth may soon follow Everett and Lowell in implementing similar restrictions on data center development.