Marblehead could move to ban data centers under a new zoning bylaw, following a discussion at the Planning Board’s Oct. 13 meeting.
Planning Board Chair Marc Liebman raised the possibility of prohibiting data centers in town, citing concerns about their impact on communities and pointing to similar efforts underway in Salem.
“There’s all kinds of reasons why data centers create a strain on the communities they’re in,” Liebman said.
Data centers are facilities that house computer servers and other equipment used to store, process and distribute digital information. Large facilities, including those supporting artificial intelligence, can consume substantial amounts of electricity and water and require extensive infrastructure.
Liebman said several town officials have expressed interest in exploring a prohibition and wanted to gauge the Planning Board’s willingness to pursue one.
“There are many people in various parts of town government who wanted to test our appetite for defining data centers and coming up with a bylaw to prevent data centers from existing in Marblehead,” he said. “I fully support that.”
The Salem City Council approved a data center ban earlier this month.
Liebman said one of the biggest challenges is developing a legal definition of a data center.
He proposed working with Select Board members, Planning and Community Development Director Brendan Callahan and town staff to develop draft language for the Planning Board to review at its November meeting.
The proposal could then be brought before Town Meeting for consideration.
No formal vote was taken, and no specific restrictions or exemptions were proposed. The discussion was preliminary, with the board agreeing to explore the idea further.
ADU approvals highlight multigenerational housing needs
Earlier in the meeting, the board considered three accessory dwelling unit applications, approving two and continuing a third amid concerns about whether the proposed designs complied with the town’s 900-square-foot limit.
