Title
A RESOLUTION DECLARING A SIX (6) MONTH STAY ON THE FILING, CONSIDERATION, REVIEW, AND/OR APPROVAL OF ALL NEW APPLICATIONS FOR DATA CENTERS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY OF HUDSON; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Brief Description: A resolution establishing a six-month stay (or freeze) on the establishment, expansion, and approval of "data centers" and related uses within the City to allow City Council and staff to continue studying and developing appropriate planning, zoning, and business regulations governing such facilities. City Council will also have the option of extending the first six months for another six months by simple motion.
Body
Legislative History
None.
Purpose & Explanation
The demand for "data centers," facilities that house networked computer servers used for the storage, processing, and distribution of large amounts of digital data, continues to grow throughout the United States and Northeast Ohio. While these facilities may provide significant economic development benefits, including expansion of the City's tax base, infrastructure improvements, redevelopment opportunities, and attraction of related industries, they also present unique challenges that warrant further study and review.
Such data centers may require substantial amounts of electricity, potentially placing additional demands on the electrical grid and utility infrastructure, which in turn may increase costs for other users and could affect the reliability of service during periods of peak usage.
Similarly, data centers may consume significant quantities of water for cooling operations, potentially impacting water supply capacity and increasing operational costs. They may also generate substantial wastewater flows that could place additional burdens on the City's sewer infrastructure and treatment systems. The volume and characteristics of wastewater generated by such facilities require further evaluation to determine potential impacts and appropriate regulatory standar...
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