Groton ― After a nearly yearlong moratorium on data center applications, proposed data center regulations will go to a public hearing on Tuesday.

The proposed regulations conditionally would allow data centers, which could be no larger than 12,500 square feet, in industrial zones only.

Data centers are defined under the regulations as facilities to “house a group of networked computer servers in one physical location or multiple contiguous locations to centralize the storage, management and dissemination of data and information.”

The proposed data center regulations are in response to some of the concerns that had been raised about data center proposals, the town’s Assistant Planning Director Deb Jones said. Residents had expressed concerns, including about noise and the impact on the environment.

Accessory data centers ― such as if a business needs a small data center for its operations ― would conditionally be allowed in all zones in town, except for green districts.

Both data centers and accessory data centers would need to comply with a list of standards under the proposed regulations.

Any proposed data center must comply with the state’s noise standards. A data center also cannot use fossil fuels for power generation, except due to an unforeseen power loss, and cannot use water evaporation techniques for cooling purposes. Proposals must include a fire suppression plan and an agreement with water and electrical utilities to show that the data center’s utility demands can be met, among other requirements.

The regulations state that accessory data centers can be no larger than 20% of the gross square footage of the business or principal use, or no larger than 1,000 square feet.

Applications for data centers, though not accessory data centers, would require a special permit.

The town’s Planning and Zoning Commission wanted to establish regulations for data centers and passed a moratorium almost a year ago to allow time to craft the regulations with assistance from the Horsley Witten Group, Jones said.

The Groton Town Council last year rejected a potential host agreement with data center developer NE Edge LLC.

Host agreements, which set parameters for a potential data center and revenue to the town, serve as the first step in potentially bringing a large-scale data center to a town, under 2021 state legislation establishing tax incentives for developers investing in data centers.

The Town Council approved in 2021 a host agreement with Gotspace Data Partners, but the town has not received a data center application and the developer would have to obtain the land for the proposal, Burt said.

The proposed regulations, if approved, would apply to the town, but not Noank, Groton Long Point or the City of Groton, which have their own zoning, said Jones.

The public hearing will be at the Planning and Zoning Commission’s meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Town Hall Annex and via Zoom.

The proposed regulations are available at: https://www.groton-ct.gov/departments/plandev/pendingapps.php

k.drelich@theday.com