There’s a lot of talk about Data Centers in the news these days and the environmental effects they bring to a community. Akron currently has four data centers and as AI and our ever expanding technology needs grow, the need for more off-site data storage and processing facilities are certainly headed our way.
Like many cities, Akron’s current zoning code does not explicitly define or account for data centers. Up to now, these data centers have been approved as industrial uses. However, it’s clear that the challenges that accompany the growth of data centers require deliberate and solid regulations. With this in mind, the city is proposing to amend the zoning code to regulate data centers by defining “data centers” to the list of uses that require conditional use approval with specific development requirements by City Council. Basically this means any data center would need to be approved by a majority vote of City Council.
The ordinance requires any applicant requesting approval of a new data center or to change an existing property to a data center to provide specific information that would allow the planning department, planning commission and council to fully evaluate the proposal and any potential negative impacts it may create. This information will include a study from the electric utility on projected electricity demand, projected water consumption, projected wastewater discharge to the City’s sewer, and a noise study. The proposal also specifies additional criteria for evaluation of the proposed data center, including any negative impact on the surrounding area, and conformity with the current zoning code and district where it would be located.
Adopting these changes will facilitate a thorough review of any future data center proposal, allow for the public to be informed and comment on future proposals and for specific measures to mitigate any negative impacts. This is just the beginning of creating appropriate evaluation processes for data centers and over the next six months, planning and other departments will continue to examine the issue, how other municipalities are responding to data centers, and the best way to account for them in the code and other approval processes. This is an ongoing process and allow planning to bring further refinements of the zoning code to council that will incorporate best practices from around the country.
The bottom line here is that we need to act quickly to control the effects data centers may have on our community, and this ordinance is the first step in the process before another one is proposed. We can ( and will) add more restrictions down the line, but we need act quickly to protect our neighborhoods, residents and the environment.