relative to municipal data center zoning.
What changed between versions
The exclusion threshold for what does not count as a data center was raised from 10 percent to 25 percent of the gross floor area of all on-site buildings, broadening the category of facilities exempt from the new zoning provisions.
Removed the requirement that no data center be permitted within 2,640 feet of a passenger rail station or high-capacity transit facility.
Removed the requirement for written confirmation from the serving electric utility that adequate electrical capacity would be available within 2 years of construction.
Removed noise level restrictions (5 percent above ambient at nearest residential parcel) and the requirement for a noise study by a qualified acoustical engineer.
Removed the entire Design and Siting Standards section, which had required 150-foot setbacks for mechanical equipment, 30-foot landscape buffers with canopy trees, architectural facade variations, detached sidewalks with landscaped strips, and shaded pedestrian pathways.
The zoning authority provision was simplified from a detailed framework to a single sentence stating data centers are allowed in commercial or industrial zones subject to local land use regulations, effectively delegating all specific standards to local planning boards.
The rulemaking section was simplified from 'may adopt regulations necessary to implement this subdivision, including additional performance, screening, or design standards, consistent with the purpose of this subdivision' to simply 'may adopt regulations as necessary,' removing the directional guidance for local regulation.
