Data centers in Massachusetts local government
What Massachusetts city councils, county boards and school districts are deciding about data centers — plain-English summaries written from official agendas and minutes, updated as meetings happen.
122 Massachusetts meetings since 2024 covered data centers. Counts are directional — coverage varies by place and platform.
Places in Massachusetts with the most data centers activity
- Leominster, MA (10)
- Westfield, MA (8)
- Malden, MA (8)
- Easthampton, MA (7)
- Bedford, MA (6)
- Chelmsford, MA (6)
- Norton, MA (5)
- Southbridge, MA (4)
- Ashland, MA (4)
- Lowell, MA (4)
- Attleboro, MA (4)
- Northfield, MA (4)
Latest matching meetings
Planning Board to hold joint hearing on data center ban, rezoning, overlay changes
The Newburyport Planning Board will hold a joint public hearing with the City Council Planning & Development Committee to consider three zoning amendments: adding data centers to prohibited uses, rezoning 10 Woodman Way to R3, and extending the Demolition Control Overlay District to former Federal Street Overlay…
Southbridge to weigh solar, battery storage zoning changes and data center moratorium
The Southbridge Town Council and Planning Board will hold a public hearing to consider modifying Zoning Bylaw Sections 8.5 (Solar as of Right) and 8.6 (Battery Energy Storage Systems), and to discuss adding a temporary moratorium on data centers. The meeting is scheduled for September 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the…
Council to consider temporary moratorium on new data centers
The Leominster City Council will hold a public hearing to consider enacting a temporary moratorium on applications to build new data centers. If adopted, the moratorium would be in effect until July 31, 2027. The hearing is scheduled for September 14, 2026, at 6:30 P.M. in City Council Chambers.
Pollinator committee to discuss neonicotinoids, AI datacenters, and formal status
The Pollinator Health Advisory Committee is meeting to approve minutes, review past projects, and plan upcoming initiatives. Key discussions include updating the charge on neonicotinoids, addressing AI datacenters, and considering whether to become a formal town committee. The group will also prepare for Concord Ag…
Planning Board to continue hearing on 14-unit mixed-use building at 55 Tilton Ave
The Ashland Planning Board will hold a public hearing, continued from a prior session, on a special permit and site plan review for a three-floor mixed-use building with 14 apartments and two flex-space contractor bays at 55 Tilton Avenue. The board will also discuss the Open Space and Recreation Plan draft, data…
Planning Board to hear energy storage special permit and 21-lot subdivision
The Uxbridge Planning Board will hold public hearings on a special permit for an energy storage system at 404 Blackstone Street, a 21-lot residential subdivision at 104 Chestnut Street, and a related retreat lot special permit. The board will also discuss a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers and amendments…
Planning Board hearing on data center moratorium and zoning amendments
The Uxbridge Planning Board will hold a public hearing on September 9, 2026, to act on four warrant articles. These include a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers, plus amendments to sections on retreat lots, non-conforming uses, and the Board of Appeals. The board will decide whether to recommend these…
Salem to ban data centers and remove parking minimums for two-family homes
The Salem City Council and Planning Board held a joint public hearing on two proposed zoning amendments. The first amendment defines data centers and explicitly prohibits them in all zoning districts. The second amendment removes required parking minimums for two-family dwellings, aligning them with multifamily…
Planning Board sets 4Q26 priorities, including data center ban and flood bylaw
The New Marlborough Planning Board is meeting to review and approve prior meeting minutes and to set its priorities for the fourth quarter of 2026. The board will discuss a list of high- and medium-priority items, including electronic data storage, a data center prohibition, a flood insurance program bylaw, and…
Council to vote on $1.6M in fund transfers, data-center moratorium, and surplus auction
The Methuen City Council will hold its regular meeting on September 8, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall, Searles Building. The agenda includes votes on three major resolutions: a $1.6 million transfer of funds between budget lines, a temporary moratorium on data centers, and the auctioning of surplus equipment…
Council to weigh data center impact study, utility pole and gas main work
The Lowell City Council will hold a public hearing on utility requests from National Grid and Boston Gas, and consider several motions including a community impact study on data centers, library bookmobile access, MBTA platform safety, and downtown social districts. The agenda also includes routine items like minutes…
Ordinance Committee to review housekeeping fixes and zoning changes
The Easthampton City Council Ordinance Committee is meeting to discuss several ordinance amendments, including typo fixes and zoning updates. The agenda includes housekeeping items for city and zoning ordinances, as well as reviews of residency requirements, a cannabis equity ordinance, a cryptocurrency ATM ordinance…
Planning Board to discuss Dark Sky lighting, data centers, and 340 Great Road
The Bedford Planning Board is meeting remotely to discuss several regulatory topics, including Dark Sky lighting, small clean energy facility permitting, data center permitting, and residential sign regulations. A public hearing on a subdivision at 145 Davis Road has been continued to September 22, 2026, at the…
Auburn Planning Board to weigh data center ban and major warehouse project
The Auburn Planning Board will hold public hearings on several site plan applications and zoning bylaw amendments, including a proposed one-year moratorium on data centers and a separate amendment to ban them entirely. They will also review a major warehouse development at 190 Washington Street and other property…
Planning Board to weigh data center moratorium and ban, plus three Washington St. projects
The Auburn Planning Board will hold public hearings on two zoning bylaw amendments: a one-year moratorium on data centers and a ban on data centers in all zoning districts. The board will also review site plans for three properties on Washington Street, including a new building with a drive-thru, a parking lot…
Planning Board to discuss wetlands bylaw and data center zoning ahead of Town Meeting
The Wakefield Planning Board will meet on September 8, 2026, to discuss updates to the town’s wetland bylaw and schedule a public forum on large load data centers and zoning. The board will also review zoning articles proposed for the upcoming Town Meeting warrant and plan for Town Day on September 26, 2026.
Auburn Planning Board to weigh data center moratorium and ban
The Auburn Planning Board will hold public hearings on two proposed zoning amendments regarding data centers: one for a one-year moratorium and another for a complete ban in all zoning districts. The board will also review site plan applications for a trailer rental business and a warehouse development. The board will…
Sustainability Commission plans farmers market, composting, solar farm hearing
The Attleboro Sustainability Commission is meeting to discuss outreach events, project updates, and upcoming city actions. Key items include planning for the summer farmers market, a newsletter, and a proposed solar farm hearing. The commission will also elect a new vice-chairperson and review project reports.
Planning Board special meeting on proposed data center by-law amendment
The East Bridgewater Planning Board will hold a special meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026, at 7 p.m. to discuss a proposed by-law amendment regarding data centers. The meeting is a public hearing cancellation notice, but the agenda indicates the topic is the data center by-law amendment.
Planning Board to review Pleasant Street duplex demolition and rebuild
The Ashland Planning Board will hold a public hearing on a site plan review for 167-169 Pleasant Street, where the applicant proposes to demolish an existing duplex and build a new one with attached garages and an expanded parking area. The board will also discuss data center zoning, its task list, and committee…
Planning Board to weigh 8 zoning amendments, including data centers and Riverneck rezoning
The Chelmsford Planning Board will hold a continued public hearing on a package of eight proposed amendments to the Town's Zoning Bylaw, covering child care uses, site plan review procedures, contractor yards, inclusionary housing fees, data centers, and rezoning in the 210 Boston Road and Riverneck Road areas. The…
Planning Board to hold hearings on senior housing and industrial zoning updates
The Plymouth Planning Board will meet to conduct a site plan review for a school department parking lot, hold public hearings on proposed zoning bylaw amendments for senior housing and industrial zoning, and discuss a data center moratorium article. The senior housing update would replace 'Elderly' with 'Senior' and…
Planning Board to weigh data center and battery storage moratoriums
The Fitchburg Planning Board will hold public hearings on several special permits and site plan approvals, including a driveway exceeding the zoning limit, private airplane hangars, and modifications to marijuana retailer hours. The board will also discuss initiating zoning petitions for temporary moratoriums on data…
Council committee to review data center moratorium and zoning changes
The Easthampton City Council Ordinance Committee is meeting to discuss several proposed zoning and ordinance amendments, including a temporary moratorium on data centers, changes to multifamily housing rules, and sign regulations. The committee will also review prior meeting minutes and hear public comment. No final…
Council to weigh data center zoning, moratoriums, and flood property taking
The Leominster City Council will hold public hearings and a regular meeting on August 24, 2026, to consider several zoning amendments related to data centers, including a proposed definition and use restrictions, as well as a temporary moratorium on new data centers and battery storage systems. The council will also…
Council to hear zoning amendment defining data centers
The Leominster City Council will hold a public hearing on a petition by Donna Molet to amend the Zoning Ordinance by adding a definition for 'Data Center' and a corresponding use table entry. The amendment would classify data centers as a special permit use in certain districts and explicitly exclude them from being…
Public hearing on adding 'Data Center' definition to zoning ordinance
The Leominster City Council is holding a public hearing on a request by Donna Molet to amend the zoning ordinance by adding a definition for 'Data Center' to Section 22-4. The hearing is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 6:00 P.M. in City Council Chambers. No other items are listed on this agenda.
Joint Select/Planning Board to weigh zoning changes, data centers, noise bylaw
The Norton Select Board and Planning Board are meeting jointly to discuss and potentially advance several zoning and regulatory items for the Fall Annual Town Meeting, including a noise bylaw, industrial zoning changes, and data center regulations. They will also consider appointments to the Planning Board and other…
Planning Board to vote on new member, discuss zoning changes
The Norton Planning Board, meeting jointly with the Select Board, will vote on appointing a new Planning Board member from candidates Frederick Philips and John Hurd. They will also discuss six proposed Fall Town Meeting articles covering fiscal impact analysis, special permit criteria, noise bylaw, industrial zone…
Planning Board to hear marijuana establishment request and discuss zoning changes
The Norton Planning Board will hold public hearings on two special permit applications, including a proposed marijuana establishment at 408 Old Colony Road and a four-unit building at 113 Mansfield Avenue. The board will also discuss several articles for the Fall Town Meeting, including zoning changes for industrial…
Council to consider $75,250 JFK roof design transfer and zoning changes
The Northampton City Council is meeting virtually to discuss and vote on several financial orders, including a $75,250 transfer for JFK roof design, a five-year assessment services contract, and a zoning ordinance amendment. The agenda also includes appointments to various committees and a discussion on establishing a…
Planning Board to review ANR plan, bylaw updates for Fall Town Meeting
The Essex Planning Board is meeting to review an ANR endorsement request for lot boundary changes at 2 and 4 King's Court, and to discuss several proposed bylaw updates for the Fall Town Meeting, including zoning violation fee increases, short-term rental inspections, and new regulations for clean energy…
Planning Board to continue hearings on hotel and outlet restaurant
The Wrentham Planning Board is meeting virtually to continue two public hearings: one for a site plan and stormwater permit to demolish part of the Arbor Inn Motel and build a 3-story hotel at 900 Washington St, and another for a modification to build a 2,115 sq ft restaurant at the Wrentham Premium Outlets outparcel…
Aquifer committee to weigh solar, battery, and data center impacts
The Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee is meeting to discuss its composition, plan for the upcoming year, and potential impacts of solar and battery storage, an aquifer study, and projects like a senior center and data centers on the Barnes Aquifer. The agenda includes public comment and approval of prior minutes.
Planning Board to discuss draft data center moratorium
The Southbridge Planning Board is meeting to approve minutes, review a layout submission for the Mill St Bridges TIP project, and discuss a draft data center moratorium. The board will also continue its zoning bylaw review and receive a staff update. This is a regular meeting with several action and discussion items.
Planning Board to weigh marijuana shop, housing, and zoning changes
The Norton Planning Board will hold a public hearing on a proposed four-unit building at 113 Mansfield Avenue, continued from July 7, 2026, and a marijuana establishment at 408 Old Colony Road. The board will also discuss several articles for the Fall Town Meeting, including fiscal impact analysis, special permit…
Planning Board to hold hearings on 4-unit building and marijuana shop
The Norton Planning Board will hold public hearings on two site plan reviews: a four-unit building at 113 Mansfield Avenue and a marijuana establishment at 408 Old Colony Road. The board will also discuss six articles proposed for the Fall Town Meeting, including zoning changes for industrial height and data centers.
Zoning subcommittee to weigh five ordinance amendments
The Randolph Town Council's Zoning and Ordinance Subcommittee is meeting to discuss five proposed amendments to the town's zoning ordinance (Chapter 200). These include new regulations for data centers, changes to planned residential development, inclusionary zoning, assisted and independent living, and mixed-use…
Planning Board to weigh moratoriums on battery storage and data centers
The Leominster Planning Board will hold public hearings and make recommendations on two City Council petitions proposing temporary moratoriums on battery storage systems (BESS) and new data centers until July 31, 2027. The board will also continue hearings on site plans for a two-family dwelling at 321 Litchfield…
Planning Board to discuss Casa Loma redevelopment and possible data center by-law
The East Bridgewater Planning Board is meeting to discuss several items, including a public hearing on the redevelopment of the Casa Loma site, a possible by-law for data centers, and an amendment to the zoning by-law regarding containers. The board will also consider a road bond reduction for Per's Path and closing…