What We Know: Springfield is looking to buy more time before accepting applications for large data centers.
What It Means: City staff wants to extend the current pause on data center applications beyond its Nov. 17 expiration date. That would give the city more time to review public concerns and consider possible regulations.
The city also wants to formally define what qualifies as a data center in Springfield’s development code.
Residents have raised concerns about electricity and water use, utility rates, noise, public safety and the impact on neighborhoods.
What’s Next: City officials say extending the pause does not mean data centers will be approved or rejected. It would give the city more time to decide what rules and protections should be in place before applications are considered.
The proposed data center definition is expected to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 15.
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Original press release provided by the City of Springfield . . .
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City of Springfield is proposing two next steps in its ongoing review of potential data center development: extending the current administrative delay on accepting and processing data center applications and defining “data center” in the City’s Land Development Code.
The proposed extension of an administrative delay on accepting and processing data center applications would provide time to evaluate community input and develop policy options for City Council. A separate amendment would establish a clear definition of the term “data center.”
The proposals represent the next phase of a process that began with research, community education, and public engagement. The focus now turns to evaluating what the City heard, defining the term “data center,” and developing options for City Council to determine what safeguards may be needed to protect residents, utility customers, and the community.
The current administrative delay is scheduled to expire on Nov. 17. City staff are proposing an extension to provide additional time to review community feedback and work through the complex regulatory and technical issues involved.
“We’ve heard a lot from our community. We owe it to people to take the time to really understand that input before we move forward,” City Manager David Cameron said. “Extending the pause gives us time to do that work and sort through some complicated questions involving utilities, public safety, the environment and land use. At the same time, we need to get clear about what we’re talking about. Before we can decide what rules should apply to data centers, we first need to define what a data center is. This is about doing things in the right order: define it, understand the impacts, and then have a thoughtful conversation about what makes sense for Springfield.”
Community input moves into next phase
The City recently completed three public engagement sessions focused on data centers. Residents raised questions and concerns about electricity and water use, utility rates and reliability, wastewater, noise and air quality, land use, public safety, neighborhood impacts and the potential economic and community benefits of data center development.
Their feedback will help inform the next phase of the City’s work.
Developing a comprehensive framework is more complicated than making a single change to the zoning code. The framework could involve fire and building safety requirements, environmental regulations, land-use standards, and more.
The City will also continue monitoring potential state and federal action that could affect what regulations local governments are authorized to adopt.
Extending the administrative delay would provide time to work through those issues before the City would begin accepting and processing applications for large-scale data centers.
The extension would not determine whether data centers ultimately will or will not be permitted in Springfield, nor would it represent an endorsement of data center development. Its purpose is to allow the City to develop clear standards and protections before applications are considered.
First, define what a “data center” is
As a separate but related step, the City is proposing a text amendment to the Land Development Code to establish a formal definition of “data center.”
The City’s current Land Development Code does not specifically define the term. This measure is expected to be on the Planning & Zoning Commission’s meeting agenda Oct. 15.
The public engagement process demonstrated why that distinction matters. “Data center” can be used to describe facilities of dramatically different sizes and impacts, from relatively small facilities housing computer equipment to hyperscale campuses that can require significant amounts of land, electricity, water, and other infrastructure.
Before Springfield can determine what regulations should apply, the City first needs a common definition of what is being regulated. The proposed definition would establish that common starting point for residents, developers, property owners, City staff and policymakers. It would not, by itself, determine where data centers could locate or establish the complete set of requirements that would apply to them.
Those policy decisions would come later through the City’s established public process.
Protecting residents and maintaining local control
As the City develops potential regulations, the work will focus on the issues residents have consistently identified: protecting utility customers, managing impacts on neighboring properties and infrastructure, maintaining reliable City services, and determining what protections or community benefits should be required if development is ultimately permitted.
The goal is to ensure that Springfield establishes its own clear expectations for projects proposed within the city rather than reacting to individual development proposals without a regulatory framework in place.
Data center development is also a regional issue. Projects could potentially locate elsewhere within the broader City Utilities service territory, meaning Springfield utility customers could be affected by large new demands even when a project is located outside Springfield city limits. The City will consider those regional implications as it works with City Utilities to evaluate appropriate protections.
The City’s approach will continue to be guided by a basic principle: community protections should be established before development decisions are made.
The proposed extension and definition are early steps in that process. Additional regulations and safeguards would be developed separately and would proceed through the applicable Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council public processes before adoption.