Northfield council moves away from data center ban, toward tiered regulation
The Northfield City Council voted 7-0 to reduce the setback for data-processing facilities near parks and trails from about three-quarters of a mile to 200 feet. The council also directed staff to develop a tiered regulatory framework addressing issues including water use, electricity consumption, noise and other impacts, despite residents urging officials to retain the city’s data center moratorium.
The Northfield City Council voted unanimously to reduce the required setback between data-processing facilities and parks, trails and recreational features from 3,950 feet to 200 feet. Officials said the original setback made every industrial parcel in the city effectively undevelopable, while the city’s existing ordinance still includes 17 performance standards and requires a conditional-use permit for facilities using water.
The council also directed staff to explore tiered regulations based on facility scale and impacts, including water use and power consumption. More than a dozen residents opposed the change and called for the moratorium to remain in place, but council members, including Kathleen Holmes, Jessica Peterson White, Davin Sokup and Chad Beumer, generally supported regulating rather than prohibiting data centers. Mayor Erica Zweifel cited potential benefits such as tax revenue, renewable energy and electrical-grid improvements.