Auburn freezes data center development for 12 months as city rewrites land-use rules
Auburn City Council unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on new data center development to allow officials time to rewrite land-use rules and a Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan. The pause will address concerns about the industry's impact on infrastructure, the environment, and public safety, specifically regarding energy, water, and noise. This local action complements a state-level approach by covering smaller facilities.
The Auburn City Council unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on new data center development, effective Thursday, August 6. This pause prevents the city from accepting or processing applications for data storage facilities, including new constructions and conversions of existing buildings.
The action was taken to allow city officials to develop a new Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan and revise city code, as existing regulations from 2010 and 2018 did not anticipate the significant land-use issues posed by data centers. Director of Planning and Economic Development Stephen Selvek noted that the local moratorium addresses smaller projects, complementing the state's focus on hyperscale facilities of 50 megawatts or more.
Concerns prompting the moratorium include the substantial electricity and water consumption of data centers, with a 50-megawatt facility using as much power as 40,000 households, as well as potential noise and environmental impacts. Councilors Terry Cuddy and Christina Calarco emphasized the importance of the pause for resident participation in the planning process and to cover facilities potentially overlooked by state restrictions. Mayor James Giannettino and Corporation Counsel Nate Garland discussed the city's remaining leverage through water and wastewater agreements for developments outside city limits.
The moratorium was supported by residents, with one speaker, Walker Goodmote, publicly backing the measure. The council's 5-0 vote ensures the city has time to evaluate zoning, environmental, and economic questions to integrate permanent provisions into its comprehensive plan and city code.