MONTAGUE — The White River Township planning commission approved an ordinance governing AI data centers at a special meeting Tuesday evening, 6-0, with one abstention.
The ordinance places limits on where a data center can be placed, how large it can be and various other aspects of a potential construction. Although the township currently has no proposed data centers, the commission felt it necessary to enact an ordinance to protect the township, given the topic's increased visibility over the past year. For the same reason, the commission said attorney Cliff Bloom had advised that there is a good chance it will want to review the ordinance within a year.
In November, the township enacted a six-month moratorium on such construction applications to give itself time to construct the ordinance. That moratorium expires in May.
Among the requirements the commission outlined during the special meeting were: Data centers in the township cannot exceed 200,000 square feet in size; no part of the construction can be closer than 600 feet from a township residence; no power generators can be within two miles; data center buildings can be no taller than 40 feet inclusive of any rooftop equipment; all water usage must be "a closed loop," meaning a facility cannot take water from the township's natural resources; any potential vibrations, fumes and smoke from such a facility cannot be detectable on residents' property; and constructions cannot be placed in the township's renewable energy overlay, mostly comprising Chemours property.
Many other aspects of any potential construction are subject to township approval, including access by emergency services, effects on wildlife and green space, and the meeting of the National Fire Protection Association standards regarding information technology facilities.
During discussion, commissioner Deb Harris noted that this was the seventh version of the ordinance the commission had worked through, showing the amount of work and care that went into it.
Vice Chair Karen McClain shared her pride in the work done by the commission, saying, "You guys are all really good. You get the work done and do the research. I'm proud to serve with you."
Bill Bergerson abstained from the vote, though he said he agreed with all substantive parts of the ordinance. He said his abstention was due to clerical issues within the ordinance, such as inconsistency of capitalization and formatting errors. He shared his frustration with those miscues given the amount of money the township is paying planning firms to assemble these ordinances, stating the township deserves better. He too complimented the commission on its work, noting that he is "kind of an interloper" as he only moved to the township a few years ago.
Township Supervisor Ron Bailey spoke during public comment to give further thanks to the commission for its work on the ordinance and for being proactive on the issue of data centers.
