The Waite Park City Council has unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on the development of data centers within the city. This decision aims to provide city officials with the necessary time to study potential impacts, including water usage, and to draft appropriate regulations before any applications move forward.
Planning Director Jon Noerenberg highlighted that while data centers are becoming more common across Minnesota, Waite Park’s current ordinances are not well-suited for such developments. Unlike previous moratoriums on solar and quarrying projects, which were implemented after development had already begun, the city is proactively addressing this issue before any proposals have been submitted.
One exception in the moratorium allows for the construction of a small, 300-square-foot telecommunications shelter with fiber-optic equipment, as it is not related to data centers and does not require water to operate.
City staff plan to study data centers in nearby communities to inform the drafting of new regulations that will ensure any future developments align with Waite Park’s resources and community standards.