SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury Planning Commission is expected to consider a proposed zoning amendment Thursday afternoon that would require future data centers to undergo additional review before they could be built in parts of the city.
The commission is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 9, to discuss the proposal, which city planning staff say is intended to give Salisbury more oversight of a rapidly growing type of development while officials work on permanent regulations.
Under the proposed amendment, the city would add a formal definition of a "data center" to its zoning code. The definition describes a data center as a building or group of buildings that house computer systems, data storage equipment, and related infrastructure used to process, store and distribute large amounts of data. The proposal also states that data centers could not be incorporated into mixed-use or multi-use buildings.
The amendment would also change how data centers are regulated in Salisbury's Light Industrial zoning district.
Currently, the city's zoning code allows "data processing and computer centers" as a permitted use. The proposal would remove that designation and instead require developers to obtain a Special Exception before constructing a data center. That process typically includes public review and approval by city officials.
According to a staff report prepared by the city's Department of Infrastructure and Development, the change is being recommended due to Salisbury's existing zoning code being outdated and effectively allowing data centers in both the Light Industrial and General Commercial districts.
Planning staff wrote that requiring a special exception would "help limit the creation of this potentially hazardous use" in areas where industrial and commercial properties are located near homes and other sensitive land uses. Officials say the amendment would also provide time to research and develop more comprehensive standards for future data center projects.
Supporting materials included with the proposal reference state legislation and planning guidance related to data center development, as well as information explaining the differences between a typical server room and a large-scale data center.
If the Planning Commission recommends approval, the proposed zoning amendment would move to the Salisbury City Council for final consideration.
