Should data centers be banned in Southborough? Debate at Town Meeting

The Southborough Town Meeting recently passed an update to its Industrial Park Zoning ordinance, introducing stringent restrictions on new data center developments. These regulations mandate a special permit from the Planning Board, a 1,000-foot setback from residential and conservation areas, and a maximum build size of 50,000 square feet. Planning Board Vice Chair Marnie Hoolihan explained that the measures are intended to allow for data centers while exercising caution due to unknowns about the impact of modern, AI-based facilities on the town's land use, public health, and environmental balance. She noted the difficulty in comparing current "old-school" data centers, which use significantly fewer resources, to potential new ones. The town currently hosts one data center at 34 St. Martin Drive, acquired by Marlborough Technology Partner in 2019 and largely occupied by TierPoint, which generates substantial tax revenue. However, long-time town official Sam Stivers argued that the new restrictions would "effectively ban" data centers, proposing an amendment to eliminate the setback and double the allowed square footage to 100,000. Stivers' amendment was ultimately rejected by the Town Meeting, which proceeded to pass the original zoning updates proposed by the Planning Board. Stivers expressed disappointment, hoping the discussion would be revisited in the future, as he believes the town will miss out on potential revenue from new data center facilities under the current rules.