Ban on data development "won't end soon" - Jackson
City data-center moratorium has more time left than officials thought, attorney says
The city's six-month moratorium on data-center development will not expire as soon as officials had believed, Jackson's city attorney told a council committee.
City Attorney and Interim Chief Administrative Officer Drew Martin told the City Council's Planning and Development Committee on Oct. 27 that a review of the moratorium's publication date changed the timeline. "We did some checking on this. The publication date was later than we'd realized, and so the actual date that the moratorium took effect was later than I think all of us understood it to be," Martin said. "Because of that, it is not in any danger of lapsing in the next 30 days."
Martin said a draft ordinance to replace the moratorium is still being finalized. It would require developers to obtain sign-off from state regulators and utilities on water and power usage before building, with further restrictions to come through site-plan review. He also said the city could pursue "community benefits agreements" with developers.
The moratorium and the ordinance meant to succeed it will shape whether planned data-center investment in Jackson moves forward or stalls, with the added state, water and energy requirements raising questions about regulatory burden and potential revenue for the city.