MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
The Hutchinson Planning Commission has recommended temporary zoning regulations for large-scale data centers and utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) as city officials work toward developing permanent regulations.
The commission voted Tuesday, June 9, to recommend the temporary rules to the Hutchinson City Council. If approved by the council at its July 7 meeting, the regulations would prohibit large-scale data centers and utility-scale BESS in all residential zoning districts and require conditional use permits for such facilities in commercial and industrial areas.
The proposal would still allow battery storage systems that serve on-site needs and server rooms that support a primary use at the same location.
Under the recommended regulations, developers would be required to address a wide range of issues as part of the permit application process. These include electricity demand and utility coordination, water demand and cooling methods, wastewater discharge, fire and life safety systems, traffic impacts, noise, screening and lighting, decommissioning and site restoration plans, environmental impacts, and emergency response needs.
During the meeting, Director of Community Development Matt Williams explained the conditional use permit process to members of the public in attendance. Williams said applications are first reviewed by planning staff before public notices are published and letters are sent to nearby property owners. A public hearing is then held before the planning commission, which makes a recommendation to the city council. The council ultimately makes the final decision at a later meeting.
Williams noted that under the city's current zoning regulations, neither data centers nor battery energy storage systems are specifically defined. As a result, certain projects could potentially move forward without a public hearing if staff determine they fit within an existing permitted land-use category.
The proposed regulations establish definitions for both types of facilities. A large-scale data center is defined as a facility primarily used to house computer systems, servers, backup generation equipment, data storage, networking, cooling, and electrical infrastructure supporting cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain operations, and other high-intensity data processing activities.
Utility-scale battery energy storage systems are defined as commercial or grid-support electric storage facilities that include batteries, transformers, inverters, switchgear, fire suppression systems, substations, and related equipment.
The commission heard comments from five Hutchinson residents who raised concerns about potential health effects, water and air pollution, noise, fire risks, and the significant water and energy demands often associated with data centers and battery storage facilities. Several speakers also questioned whether the relatively small number of jobs typically created by such facilities justified the potential impacts.
The planning commission is scheduled to begin work on those permanent regulations at its next meeting on June 23 at Hutchinson City Hall.