Irondale Weighs Data Center Zoning Rules

Irondale, Alabama, is considering zoning rules for data centers instead of temporarily halting development, Mayor James Stewart Jr. said at a meeting Thursday night. The city’s planning and zoning commission recommended an ordinance to the City Council after a public hearing. The council is expected to take a binding vote, likely in December. Stewart, first elected mayor in 2020, also chairs the commission.

The proposed 18-page ordinance, introduced by Councilman Aaron Sims after six months of study, defines hyperscale and other data centers. It requires closed-loop cooling systems, limits daytime noise to under 50 decibels at the property line, and sets minimum distances from residential areas based on data center type, among other conditions. Sims said council members could make small changes when they vote.

Stewart called moratoria “the easy way out” and said the city should address problems with rules rather than delay a decision. Sims and commission members said Irondale’s zoning and available land are not appealing to the industry; Sims said the city might attract a micro data center but lacks space for a large one. About 15 people attended the meeting, and two residents asked for a moratorium. At least 17 Alabama cities, mostly in central Alabama, have imposed six-month or yearlong moratoria on new data center development. Irondale has no data center proposal or permit request before it, Stewart said.

Irondale, Alabama, is considering zoning rules for data centers instead of temporarily halting development, Mayor James Stewart Jr. said at a meeting Thursday night. The city’s planning and zoning commission recommended an ordinance to the City Council after a public hearing. The council is expected to take a binding vote, likely in December. Stewart, first elected mayor in 2020, also chairs the commission.

The proposed 18-page ordinance, introduced by Councilman Aaron Sims after six months of study, defines hyperscale and other data centers. It requires closed-loop cooling systems, limits daytime noise to under 50 decibels at the property line, and sets minimum distances from residential areas based on data center type, among other conditions. Sims said council members could make small changes when they vote.

Stewart called moratoria “the easy way out” and said the city should address problems with rules rather than delay a decision. Sims and commission members said Irondale’s zoning and available land are not appealing to the industry; Sims said the city might attract a micro data center but lacks space for a large one. About 15 people attended the meeting, and two residents asked for a moratorium. At least 17 Alabama cities, mostly in central Alabama, have imposed six-month or yearlong moratoria on new data center development. Irondale has no data center proposal or permit request before it, Stewart said.