The St. Louis Board of Aldermen appears divided on data center development in the city, after rejecting an attempt to pause new development on the projects until zoning rules are completed.
Ward 9 Alderman Michael Browning attempted to introduce the bill last week, co-sponsored by Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, that would have paused development of any new data centers until zoning rules for the buildings are put into place.
Two days earlier, a more than four-hour public hearing took place on proposed zoning rules that would restrict where data centers can be built in the city and give the government tools to revoke permits when operators break the rules.
Browning said it’s important to hit pause, as he’s having ongoing conversations with developers eyeing new data center developments throughout the city. He said new data center applications are on the horizon and the city risks some projects starting before new zoning rules are in place.
“Obviously, data centers have existed in the city, but there’s a real proliferation of them across the country right now,” Browning said. “And they come with some serious risks.”
Last Friday was the last day to introduce bills to the board until the next legislative session in April. The bill needed 10 votes to be introduced from the floor and was voted down 7-8.
Board members Browning, Sonnier, Anne Schweitzer, Daniela Velazquez, Sharon Tyus, Rasheen Aldrige and board President Megan Green voted yes to introduce the bill.
Thomas Oldenburg, Shane Cohn, Bret Narayan, Matt Devoti, Jami Cox-Antwi, Shameem Clark-Hubbard, Laura Keys and Pam Boyd voted no.
Clark-Hubbard said she had several concerns about the bill’s language and the speed at which it was introduced. She said she voted against it after many constituents urged her to do so.
She added she’s confident in the Planning Commission’s work to push the new zoning rules through.
Browning said the bill most likely will not return until the spring legislative session, and only if the zoning rules are not in place by then.
“We were trying to communicate to the public, which spoke very loudly at (last week’s) Planning Commission meeting, that we were hearing them and that we wanted to give room for our planning staff to put together thoughtful, practical applications that would protect our residents and still allow, you know, businesses and commerce to succeed in our city,” Browning said.
At that meeting, city residents expressed concerns about how data center development could impact electricity rates, environmental issues and more. Many called for an outright ban on data center development in the city, while a handful urged the commission to ease the draft rules to avoid turning away possible development.
Among those in favor of easing the zoning rules were many members of the development community, who worried the rules they called “restrictive” might turn off developers eyeing the city for data center projects.
Browning disagrees.
“There is this thought that we might scare the business community,” Browning said. “I think that the business community is understanding.”
Dani Kahn is a member of the Eco-Socialist Green Party of Eastern Missouri, a group leading the pushback against data center development in the region. She said she wasn’t surprised by the board’s vote.
“We did, however, today get confirmation that corporate interests are in charge of the city’s Board of Alders sufficiently enough to stomp out the will of the people,” she said. “It will take everyone calling their Alder, no matter what Ward they live in, to pressure them and tell them how they feel about data centers.”
This article originally appeared here.