Ascension council votes to place restrictions on potential data center developments in parish
Ascension Parish council members have approved a resolution to create new guidelines for potential data center developments. This proactive measure aims to establish proper zoning and ordinances before any companies submit permit applications. The move comes as residents express concerns and similar projects advance in other parts of Louisiana.
The Ascension Parish Council is taking proactive steps to regulate potential data center developments within the parish. At its recent Thursday night meeting in Gonzales, the council unanimously approved a resolution directing the Planning and Zoning Commission to develop comprehensive guidelines for what it termed "high-impact development facilities."
Council Chair Chase Melancon emphasized the need for clear regulations, stating, "We have to get black-and-white guidelines on if you apply, what that data center looks like, where it can be built, what's the proper zoning." Melancon noted that current zoning ordinances do not specifically address data centers and that these guidelines are crucial before any companies attempt to apply for permits.
Local residents have voiced concerns about the prospect of data centers, prompting the council's preventative action. While no specific company has yet proposed a data center project in Ascension Parish, council members are motivated by ongoing data center developments elsewhere in Louisiana, including a Meta project in Richland Parish and a HUT 8 development in West Feliciana Parish.