City planners seek 'right fit' for data centers
Mount Airy planning officials are actively crafting new local regulations for data centers after the city commissioners approved a 60-day moratorium on new applications. The planning board held an initial meeting to discuss key issues like water usage, energy consumption, and noise generation, aiming to find suitable parameters for data center development. Officials expect the process to be lengthy and are considering extending the moratorium.
Mount Airy planning officials have begun crafting new local rules to address the increasing demand for data centers, a process they anticipate will be lengthy. While some localities are rejecting data centers outright, Mount Airy plans to welcome such facilities under specific conditions. This initiative follows a 60-day moratorium approved by the city commissioners on July 16, pausing new applications for data centers.
During a Mount Airy Planning Board meeting, former city Planning Director Andy Goodall suggested a longer moratorium, citing the extensive time required for previous ordinance amendments. This discussion comes shortly after the Surry Board of Commissioners approved a two-year data center moratorium for the broader county, though this does not impact the city directly. Mount Airy Planning Board Chair Lauren Jennings emphasized that Monday's session was informational, with no decisions made, but the board agreed to hold a special meeting on August 10 to further assess their research.
City Planning Director Byron Brown highlighted the need for ordinance amendments to address unique issues like water usage, energy consumption, noise, and environmental impacts. Blake Moyer, President of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, advised Mount Airy planners to focus on controllable aspects such as distancing and finding the "right fit" for the municipality, noting that large-scale data operations are not feasible in Mount Airy due to infrastructure limitations. The board acknowledged that data centers are integral to modern life and that regulations are necessary to balance economic development with resident welfare.