Kent County Regional Planning Board unanimously backs regulations for data centers.
Kent County began considering rules for data centers and their construction last month, taking up a draft ordinance created by The Kent Economic Partnership.
It seeks to put guardrails on any data center development in the county, according to Commissioner Glenn Gauvry.
“I move that the regional planning commission recommend approval… finding that the County’s existing ordinance already permits the development of the data centers without the explicit conditions included in this ordinance- [which] that are designed to mitigate the impacts of such developments and protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the county.” he said.
The ordinance limits where data centers can be built, how far away they have to be from the street, rules to prevent light and sound pollution, as well as the “hum” effect that the low frequency machines used in data centers often bring to communities they’re constructed in, to name a few.
Commission Chairman Wlliam Jester says the county benefits from having clear rules in writing.
“This is an ordinance that gives Kent County something on the record to be able to talk about permitted uses, which they don’t have anything right now. And, it is good to have something on the record. After talking to quite a few people, they could have gone to a number of locations and then we’d be in a fight again.” he said.
Currently, a data center has been considered for the Harrington area, the former Harrington Logistics property- but no application has been before the county.
The commission gave its approval to the measure in a unanimous decision- it now goes to the Kent County Levy Court for final approval.
