Nashville Zoo circulates online petition against proposed data center
The Nashville Zoo has launched an online petition against a proposed 69,220-square-foot DC Blox data center planned next to its property, citing environmental concerns and potential disturbance to animals. Concurrently, Metro Council is considering legislation that would regulate and restrict certain types of data centers within Nashville.
The Nashville Zoo has initiated an online petition to oppose a proposed 69,220-square-foot data center by Georgia-based company DC Blox, which seeks to build directly adjacent to the zoo's parking lot. Zoo officials expressed concerns that the facility's construction and operation would disrupt animals and highlighted a lack of environmental impact assessments for the project. The petition calls on the community to help stop the data center, arguing it would strain power grids, deplete natural resources, and damage watersheds.
In response, District 20 Councilmember Rollin Horton proposed legislation at the Metro Council meeting to regulate and restrict data center development in Nashville. The proposed bill would prohibit data centers larger than 50,000 square feet and subject smaller facilities to public hearings and approval by the board of zoning appeals, along with a half-mile buffer from homes, schools, and zoos. The legislation passed its first reading on June 2 and requires two more readings to become law. The article also notes other communities like McMinnville and Robertson County have recently considered or enacted moratoriums on data centers.