Lowell to hold public forum on data center zoning
Lowell is holding a public forum to gather resident feedback on data center zoning reform, driven by ongoing community concerns and a recently enacted 360-day moratorium on new data center development. This comes amidst a lawsuit filed by residents challenging the expansion of the Markley Group's facility and its associated environmental permits. The city is auditing and updating its zoning code, which currently lacks specific definitions and standards for data centers.
The city of Lowell, Massachusetts, has scheduled a public forum for June 29 to collect resident input on zoning regulations concerning data center development. The initiative, championed by Councilor Kim Scott, aims to address community priorities for how data centers interact with neighborhoods, including concerns about minimum distances and required setbacks, as the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) updates the citywide zoning code.
The push for zoning reform follows persistent opposition from residents against the Markley Group's existing 350,000-square-foot data center. Neighbors have consistently raised issues regarding noise, air quality, permit violations, and a lack of transparency from the company, which operates 27 backup diesel generators and 16 cooling towers near residential areas, schools, and parks. Earlier this year, the City Council, prompted by Councilors Scott and Belinda Juran, enacted a 360-day moratorium on new data center development.
Adding to the complexities, a coalition of Lowell residents filed a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court in May, challenging the expansion of the Markley Group's data center. The lawsuit specifically targets an "unlawfully approved" permit for diesel generators issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Separately, Jeffrey Markley, president of the Markley Group and sole member of Meadowbolt LLC (which recently acquired significant additional properties in Lowell for development), was arrested on a domestic violence charge in Brookline, though his legal team asserts the incident was misrepresented.