Warren Zoning Rewrite Leaves Data Center Ban for Later
The Warren Town Council approved a rewritten zoning ordinance on first reading, but it did not prohibit data centers, battery storage facilities or prisons. The planning board plans to draft a separate amendment addressing those uses before a future council vote and public hearing.
Warren’s Town Council approved a comprehensive zoning rewrite on first reading and scheduled a public hearing for its November meeting. The rewrite is intended to align the town’s regulations with changes to Rhode Island zoning law, under which uses not listed in a zoning table are no longer automatically prohibited.
During the meeting, a Warren Planning Board representative urged the town to prohibit data centers, battery storage facilities and prisons. The council did not vote on those uses, instead agreeing that the planning board would prepare separate language, including definitions and justification for the restrictions. Officials and consultants warned that otherwise unlisted uses could lead to disputes over whether they are similar to permitted uses and could require special-use permits. The discussion referenced ongoing litigation over a proposed data center in Smithfield as an example of how such ambiguity can escalate.