Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission recommends definition for ‘data center’
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday night recommended a definition of “data center” to the City Council.
The Commission unanimously recommended to revise definitions in the Unified Development Code to include “data center.”
The building and inclusion of data centers have been highly contested around the country, including Mid-Missouri.
Amazon has sought to build a data center in Montgomery County and saw intense pushback from its residents at several public meetings, which culminated in a lawsuit to attempt to block it from happening. Critics of data centers typically point to excess water usage and increased use of electricity.
Columbia’s commission started the discussion over local definitions last month. According to meeting documents, the new definition is:
“Data Center. A building, facility, or premise used for the storage, management, processing and/or transmission of digital data that typically contains computers, network equipment, systems, servers, appliances, and other accessory components necessary for digital data operations. A facility may also include air handlers, power generators, water cooling and storage facilities, utility substations, and other associated utility infrastructure to support the operation. This definition does not include facilities in which data storage, management, processing and/or transmission is incidental to the primary use.”
Commission OK with new townhomes near existing complex
Lake Broadway Townhomes and Burlington Street LLC are looking to add more townhomes next to their existing buildings.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the new development near the corner of Pershing Street and Gary Street in west Columbia on the condition that a 6-foot-high fence is placed between the new building and the doctor’s office near it.
Owners are looking to build 13 units at the 2.27-acre site. Lake Broadway Townhomes are in the 1100 block of West Broadway and are just east of the newly suggested building site.