GILBERT — Gilbert is considering tougher zoning rules for data centers aimed at protecting its water supply and nearby neighborhoods, though the Town Council has put off a final decision, ABC15 reported.
The proposed changes to the town’s Land Development Code would ban open-loop evaporative cooling systems and require large primary data centers to cool their equipment with reclaimed water. They would also set standards for zoning, noise, lighting and building design.
Town officials said a data center proposed in Gilbert in 2021 would have used about 2 million gallons of water a day before the developer backed out. No data center use-permit applications have been filed since the town began requiring them in 2016.
“This is our attempt at trying to get ahead of the game,” town planner Sal DiSanto said. Vice Mayor Chuck Bongiovanni said he wants rules written “for the future,” and council members raised concerns that the ordinance could unintentionally hamper small facilities that serve hospitals and local businesses.
Gilbert’s economic development office says large data centers bring construction work and tax revenue but relatively few permanent jobs. Existing rules stay in place while the proposal is reviewed.
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Cygnusloop99 / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
