Decatur City Council to Discuss Proposed Data Center Zoning Ordinance
The Decatur City Council is discussing a proposed ordinance to create a data center overlay district. This proactive measure aims to establish specific zoning tools for data center development before any developers approach the city. City officials emphasize the importance of guiding resource use, including water, power, and land.
The Decatur City Council is scheduled to discuss a proposed ordinance that would establish a data center overlay district at its upcoming meeting. City officials emphasize that this is a proactive measure, as no data center developers have yet approached Decatur. The proposed ordinance aims to provide the city with specific zoning tools and development standards should a data center project be proposed in the future.
City Manager Nate Mara stated that the goal is to guide conversation and have a process in place, rather than reacting after a problem arises. He highlighted concerns about the finite amount of water, power, and land, stressing that the overlay district would be a tool to protect and guide these resources. No action on the ordinance is expected during this initial discussion.