Data Center Zoning Moratorium

At a glance

What: Planning Board articles that define "data center," mark it not allowed in all districts, and impose an interim ban until the 2028 annual town meeting. Part of Special Town Meeting Warrant - October 19, 2026.
Where it stands: all three articles passed the October 19 Special Town Meeting with the required two-thirds (Article 11, 256-63; Article 12, 228-93; Article 13 as amended, 279-35). Article 13 was amended to apply only to new data centers and to repeal itself automatically if the town takes no action by the 2028 annual town meeting.
Next: the Planning Board will write permanent rules (size, power, noise, water) and plans public meetings, possibly with a small working group; state review of the zoning amendments follows.

Define "data center" and mark it not allowed in all districts.
Moratorium until the 2028 annual town meeting to study districts, electrical supply, water, noise, air quality, stormwater, decommissioning, fiscal impact, and master plan consistency.
Likely future path: special permit.

Planning Board chair Patsy Rydlak moved the articles, planner Dillon Maxfield explained them and proposed the second amendment, and assessor Cathy Stanley flagged that the definition could capture the existing MCI facility. Residents who spoke included Joe Spiewak, Dan Prouty, Scott Neary, Noreen Smith, Keith Albright, Dewey Sasser and Jessica Wilson; planning board member Bill Fontaine described the rewrite process.
Article 11 defines data center (servers and telecom equipment as a primary use, for example AI or cryptocurrency).
Article 12 marks data centers "not allowed" in every district; accessory data centers (for example in Town Hall) are still allowed.
Article 13 adds an interim ban in all districts. Amendment 1 limits it to new data centers and treats facilities lawfully existing before the hearing notice (such as the MCI/Verizon facility on Northside Road, one of the larger taxpayers) as pre-existing. Amendment 2 repeals the section, definition and use-table row automatically if no regulation or extension is adopted by the 2028 annual town meeting.

Blocking larger legitimate employers and tax revenue during the moratorium, with no special permit path meanwhile.
Whether existing large facilities could expand or be retrofitted (staff: a change of use is prohibited; a substantial expansion would exceed pre-existing nonconforming protection).
Power limits, noise and impacts on farmland, to be addressed in the rewrite; the study results are to be public.

State-level rules, including Executive Order 658 and a statewide list of local moratoriums and bylaws, are on Massachusetts Data Center Policy.

About 52 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-19 - Special Town Meeting	37
2026-10-07 - Planning Board Meeting	15

2026-10-21 - Planning Board Meeting — Planning Director reported the Data Center Zoning By-Law amendments passed at Fall Town Meeting; zoning to be reviewed before the May 2028 Annual Town Meeting; Sturbridge is seeking a data center moratorium.
2026-10-19 - Special Town Meeting — Articles 11, 12 and 13 all passed with two-thirds (256-63, 228-93, 279-35). Article 13 amended twice (new data centers only with existing facilities protected; automatic repeal if no action by the 2028 annual town meeting). Debate on 12 ended by unanimous voice vote.
2026-10-07 - Planning Board Meeting — Public hearing; board voted to recommend the three articles; resident Michelle asked about process and voiced environmental concerns.