Richmond council weighs Flock cameras, data centers
The Richmond Town Council is discussing whether to allow data centers in town, as they are currently effectively prohibited by existing use codes. Concerns include the significant water and electricity demands of such facilities, as well as their impact on the town's rural character. The Planning Board is considering developing specific regulations for data centers.
The Richmond Town Council recently deliberated on the potential for data centers within the town, noting that current ordinances effectively prohibit them due to land-use and capacity requirements. During the meeting, council members, including President Samantha Wilcox and Councilor Jim Palmisciano, highlighted significant concerns regarding data centers' water and electricity consumption, their ambient noise, and their potential to disrupt Richmond's rural character. Palmisciano, who works in the data center infrastructure industry, indicated that Richmond might be an unsuitable location for large-scale data center development.
Councilor Daniel Madnick suggested that the Planning Board should develop specific regulations for data centers to assess their alignment with the town's comprehensive community plan. However, Vice President Mark Reynolds cautioned against this, fearing that adding data centers to the use table could facilitate their establishment. This local discussion occurs amidst a regional trend, with neighboring Charlestown and Smithfield having already banned data centers, and Hopkinton currently developing similar prohibitive ordinances. The Richmond Town Council did not take a vote, as data centers remain implicitly disallowed under existing town codes.