<body><div>Despite an opinion from the city planner that delaying action could leave the town vulnerable, the Mosheim Planning Commission voted Thursday night to table a proposed data center zoning ordinance so officials can consult with the town attorney about enacting a temporary moratorium.The decision came after more than 30 residents packed the small boardroom at Mosheim Town Hall to voice concerns, debate local priorities, and question officials about the possibility of data centers locating in the community.While no requests or applications have been made to build such a facility in Mosheim to date, town officials introduced the 25-page ordinance to proactively establish local rules. City Planner Conor Franklin, who serves Mosheim through the First Tennessee Development District, opened the discussion by addressing the crowd’s primary worry—that the town was opening the floodgates for data mining operations to move in unchecked.CONOR FRANKLIN“I will go ahead and address probably everyone’s fear,” Franklin told the packed room. “This ordinance is not to strictly allow for data mining centers to come into Mosheim and operate freely. Right now, we don’t have any definitions or anything governing the uses of data mining centers at all in our zoning ordinance in Mosheim, so this is to start that process.”Tightening Where Centers Can LocateDuring a half hour question-and-answer session, residents pressed Franklin on where the proposed regulations originated and why the town could not simply ban data centers altogether.Franklin explained that he drafted the document alongside an attorney, adapting a similar ordinance he helped implement in Rogersville to fit Mosheim’s zoning code. While he has not heard of any companies targeting Mosheim yet, he noted that developers are actively looking in nearby Hawkins and Johnson counties.Under Mosheim’s current rules, Franklin said, a data center could potentially locate in commercial or industrial zones, specifically B-3, B-4, or M-1 districts, subject only to the town’s basic site plan standards, which he described as “very low on the totem pole.” The proposed ordinance restricts data centers exclusively to M-1 industrial districts.When residents asked why the town couldn’t simply bar the facilities from city limits, Franklin emphasized that Tennessee zoning laws prohibit municipalities from outright banning a specific type of lawful business.“You can’t just pick a use in particular solely and then zone them out of your city,” Franklin said. “So you do have to have zoning regulations in to monitor and unfortunately allow for some of that to happen. … So right now, we have nothing to protect us.”Proposed Standards and Resident ConcernsTo establish oversight, the proposed ordinance separates potential facilities into two tiers—low-density and high-density, based on a 10-megawatt energy usage threshold. Any data center looking to locate in Mosheim would be required to complete a formal application, undergo administrative review, and secure site plan approval from the planning board. High-density facilities requiring more than 10 megawatts of power would face an additional hurdle, needing a special exception from the Mosheim Board of Zoning Appeals.The 25-page proposal also sets strict standards for minimum lot sizes, building setbacks, maximum structure heights, landscaping, visual screening, exterior lighting, utility infrastructure, and noise levels, alongside dedicated rules for on-site power generation, fuel storage, cooling systems, vibration limits, and future expansions.Residents also raised concerns about whether data center projects could lead to government seizures of private land through eminent domain. Franklin noted that while eminent domain exists for certain public utilities, a private data center would not trigger local land seizures unless state or federal authorities became involved.One Voices Support If Done CorrectlyWhile much of the crowd expressed skepticism, at least one unidentified property owner in attendance voiced conditional support for data centers, arguing that the town’s existing infrastructure issues pose a more immediate environmental concern than hypothetical developments.“To be honest with you, I don’t want to make anybody mad. I’m all for it if it’s done correctly,” the property owner told the room, questioning whether the town has the capacity to manage such projects while pointing to unresolved local infrastructure needs. “All I’m saying is, the infrastructure in this town is doing more harm to the environment. We’re worried about data centers that aren’t even here.”Debate Over a MoratoriumDuring the discussion, Mosheim Alderman Robert “Bob” Purgason urged caution, arguing that officials needed more time to evaluate the potential environmental and community impacts before moving forward.BOB PURGASON“This is the most important question that will affect every person here, and we need to take it seriously,” Purgason said. “Whatever decision is made tonight, I would propose a one-year moratorium because we don’t have any information to make a good decision.”Residents echoed Purgason’s call, asking whether the board could vote immediately to enact a temporary ban. Franklin explained that placing a legal hold on data center development would require guidance from the town attorney to determine its legal limits.“That will need to go to an attorney,” Franklin said. “That is outside of my wheelhouse, and I’m not going to pretend to know the limits on those.”Franklin reiterated that he had “no dog in this fight” and supported exploring a moratorium if the town attorney approved it. However, he advised the commission against tabling the ordinance in the meantime, warning that delaying the process leaves Mosheim without any protective standards on the books. He noted that passing the ordinance out of the planning commission would not immediately make it law, as it still requires two readings before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and a public hearing before taking effect.“We can easily table this, but to be honest, tabling this for another meeting, I think, would be a bad decision,” Franklin said.CONOR FRANKLINUltimately, the commission chose to pause the measure, voting to table the ordinance pending further discussion with the town attorney regarding a possible moratorium.PROPOSED ORDINANCEThe proposed ordinance can be accessed on the PDF file below:</div></body>

Block Source: wgrv.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

Despite an opinion from the city planner that delaying action could leave the town vulnerable, the Mosheim Planning Commission voted Thursday night to table a proposed data center zoning ordinance so officials can consult with the town attorney about enacting a temporary moratorium. The decision came after more than 30...

Mosheim Planners Table Data Center Action – At Least For Now

NewsBreak

Despite an opinion from the city planner that delaying action could leave the town vulnerable, the Mosheim Planning Commission voted Thursday night to tabl

Mosheim Planners Table Data Center Action – At Least For Now

Comments