CARLTON — A discussion about data centers is on the agenda for the Carlton County Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, July 7, after the Board heard a request for a moratorium.
In social media posts, the citizen group Carlton County Land Stewards is asking community members to wear red at the meeting in support of a yearlong moratorium.
The meeting is 4-6 p.m. Tuesday in the Carlton County Transportation Building Board Room. Committee of the whole meetings are the county's working committee, and official business is not conducted.
The question of zoning in relation to data centers has been brought up in the process of updating the countywide comprehensive plan, said Dennis Genereau, Carlton County administrator.
“The Committee of the Whole affords an opportunity to provide updates regarding that process and how planning for data centers might be incorporated into the plan,” Genereau wrote in an email.
The Land Stewards, a grassroots group, started in response to the proposed Enbridge Sandpiper oil pipeline in 2013. The group's current focus is on the possible development of data centers in Carlton County, according to its website.
The issue is on the minds of many in the region as nearby Hermantown considers a proposal from Google to build a data center there.
Members of the group first requested a moratorium at the county planning commission meeting on June 3. On June 9, four Land Stewards members attended the Board of Commissioners meeting. At the meeting, they called for the board to suggest a yearlong data center moratorium to the county planning commission.
Tim Anderson spoke for the group.
“It’s important to take time to fully understand data centers and their unique regulatory requirement,” Anderson said.
The Stewards' concerns regarding data centers include social, economic and health impacts, as well as noise, water, air and light pollution.
Anderson also brought up County Ordinance No. 41. The ordinance is a moratorium for a green burial cemetery and natural organics reduction facility.
The ordinance states, "The purpose of this moratorium is to protect the planning process as the County studies such uses and their impacts and its official controls and the need for possible amendments to them to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of citizens."
Anderson said the citizen group believes a similar approach would be reasonable regarding data center development.
“A moratorium will provide the county time to develop and implement new ordinances to site and regulate these facilities," he said.
A proactive approach to data centers could aid a future development process, as it could prevent potential lawsuits, delays and cost overruns, Anderson said.
Board members decided the topic was “worth a discussion” at the meeting, leading to its addition to the Committee of the Whole agenda.
