St. Louis is hitting pause on new zoning rules for data centers after a tense public debate over a controversial Midtown project.
For residents already angry that a large facility was approved before stronger protections were in place, the delay didn't exactly help calm things down.
On May 18, the St. Louis Planning Commission unanimously voted to delay a decision on the proposed rules, even as frustration continues to build over a data center planned for the old Famous-Barr warehouse in Midtown.
According to St. Louis Public Radio, city planning executive Miriam Keller, who helped develop the rules, asked commissioners to hold off so residents would have more time to review the latest revisions and submit feedback.
The city has been trying to catch up with growing demand for data centers, which can consume massive amounts of electricity and raise concerns about environmental health and pollution from light and noise. This can raise energy bills and cause harm to local residents.
The updated draft was shaped by community feedback after a February hearing that lasted more than three hours. St. Louis Public Radio reported that the changes include requiring a public impact agreement for major projects, cutting the threshold for a "major" data center from 75 megawatts to 30 megawatts, tougher diesel-generator standards, measures to protect the city's water system, and setting a schedule to review the rules as the technology changes.
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Even so, some officials and residents made it clear they think the city should have moved faster. Ward 7 alderwoman Alisha Sonnier criticized the lack of a temporary moratorium while the rules were still being reviewed.
Critics said moving forward with controversial developments before final safeguards are finished can leave communities feeling cut out of decisions that affect their daily lives. Many speakers called not only for stricter rules but for a full ban on data center development.
Some city leaders remain especially focused on the strain these facilities could put on the power grid. Ward 1 alderwoman Anne Schweitzer said megawatt usage keeps coming up as her biggest concern.
The city is keeping written public comment open and plans to revisit the proposal at a future meeting. Planning officials said the delay is meant to give both commissioners and the public more time to study the revised draft.
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If the Planning Commission eventually approves the rules, they would then go to the full Board of Aldermen for a final vote. Several commissioners indicated they do not want that process to drag on much longer.
St. Louis Public Radio reported that the draft would require public impact agreements for major projects, size-buffering and setback rules for each project, and an extension of the timeline for how developers address renewable energy use because regional renewable supplies are limited. It would also tighten rules around diesel generators and call for protections for the city's water system.
"We think that we've received so much public comment today and that there may be more public comment to come," Keller said.
Sonnier, meanwhile, warned that the delay could deepen residents' skepticism.
"Even today we're delaying the vote, and we don't have these rules approved," she said. "These are actions that erode the public trust."
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