Image Credit: Clarksville Government & Canva.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
The Montgomery County Building and Codes Department has proposed an update to county zoning regulations which would include regulations for any future data centers as the facilities are not currently addressed in county or city zoning policies.
Proposed changes would include restrictions on water use, electricity use, and noise for any future developments, aiming to have safeguards in place even as there are not any new centers currently planned in Clarksville or the county.
“I believe [data centers have] always been considered industrial in the past, or warehouses,” said Regional Planning Commission Director Jeff Tyndall. “But, as we’ve gotten smarter and technology has changed, I think it’s time to address data centers as their own thing. They use a lot of resources; part of what we’re proposing is they have a resource plan for electric, water, and sewer.”
Tyndall also noted that the update would restrict data center development to certain zones and that the center would be responsible for any infrastructure costs through development, a policy mirroring a state law passed earlier this year.
Additionally, the update will add language defining data centers and requiring a unique noise plan, with Tyndall pointing to noise and utility usage as “the biggest nuisance” with the centers.
“Data centers have sort of a constant ‘hum’ depending on where you are in the property from the cooling and mechanical. We just want to make sure that water, electric, and noise are all be addressed prior to [more development],” he said. “They’re actually very good neighbors in industrial areas. They don’t drive a lot of traffic; they pay a good amount of taxes.”
The county is already home to a huge Google data center, which opened in 2019, and the local Industrial Development Board is working with Clarksville utility providers to shift Google and other industrial customers to a separate water system that does not use municipal drinking water for industrial cooling purposes.
The changes still must be approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals before the update goes to the Planning Commission, and Tyndall cautioned that even though there aren’t any new data centers planned in the area, neither Clarksville nor Montgomery County have the ability to host another large-scale development.
“We believe there was some interest recently,” Tyndall said. “We currently don’t have the electrical [and] water capacity to support another mega center like Google. And that’s only going to keep them at bay for so long.”
If the zoning update is passed by the county, the City of Clarksville will likely adopt their own update with similar language.
“It’s fairly simple, but it’s just as uses change and evolve, the rules have to change and evolve, and we’re getting with the times here,” Tyndall added.
But local governments are now finding that their ability to create and implement their own regulations may be threatened as several have found themselves involved in lawsuits by developers who argue their ability to build the facilities is too restricted by these local policies.
Whether the Montgomery County regulations, and others like them across the state, will hold up in future could be determined by the outcome of such cases, raising questions about the line between rightful authority of local governments to protect their communities and interference with private industry.
Sources:
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
