During a work session Monday night the Wright City Board of Aldermen and Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the third draft of a proposed ordinance to cover any potential data center that may want to come into the community.
The third draft is apparently the final proposal that will be submitted through the formal approval process that will see it first come formally before the commission, before presumably being approved and moved to the board of aldermen for final approval.
The draft proposal would create a wholly separate industrial classification for data centers called M-3 data center industrial district.
Under the proposed ordinance data centers would not be allowed in M-1 or M-2 districts.
In addition to the zoning restriction, the proposed ordinance would not allow data centers in any floodplain district, wellhead protection area, conservation overlay district or on land zoned or used for residential or agricultural purposes. It would also prohibit such centers within any overlay district prohibiting high density industrial uses.
Setbacks would be 500 feet from the property line of any abutting residential or agricultural land. Any data center property must also provide at a minimum 100 feet of landscaped buffers, berms and screening.
In addition to land requirements any data center developer must submit with their site plan megawatt maximum for the facility and the facility’s proposed cooling system and sources of power including any onsite renewable power.
Additionally the developers must include anticipated end users of the facility and the purpose of the proposed facility, for instance whether it will be used for data storage, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency mining or business applications.
The facility must also provide information on expected noise levels. Noise levels cannot exceed 60 dBA at the property line. An independent noise study will also be required with any application.
The proposal must also include whether the applicant has executed any agreements with electric service providers and whether the applicant plans to participate in any government programs, including tax incentive programs offered by the state.
The ordinance also includes a provision that the applicant must have a specific plan to remove infrastructure and equipment should the data center cease operations.
The applicant must also have at least one public meeting with residents living within half a mile of the proposed property during which specifics of the project is shared. The meeting must occur at least 30 days prior to submission of any application to the city.
Any proposed data center is prohibited from exceeding 50 feet in height.
With respect to cooling, only closed loop cooling systems will be permitted and potable water cannot be used for cooling except in emergency situations. When flushing water from closed loop cooling systems the water cannot be discharged to sanitary sewer systems or stormwater system. Any water shall be captured and trucked off site to a permitted treatment or disposal facility. The ordinance would also require annual water use reporting.
The ordinance also requires that 25 % of the data center’s average annual electrical demand shall be supplied by on site renewable energy or dedicated off site generation contractually committed to the facility. Data centers cannot receive priority electrical service over residential or essential public services.
The proposed ordinance also includes a provision that at the city’s discretion the city will temporarily suspend collection of personal property and real estate taxes for residents in a one-to-one ratio to the tax revenue generated by a data center during the time the data center is in operation.
Alderman Karey Owens said that after the discussion Monday night the city is good to move forward after the ordinance is drafted by City Attorney Paul Rost.
She said she was pleased with the overall result of the workshop, the city’s third on the topic.
“It has been the most collaborative workshop,” Owens said.
She said she was proud of the work city leaders put in to develop the proposed ordinance.
