Planning Board recommends data center water ban
Planning Board · Meeting of September 16, 2026
Newburyport Planning Board recommends citywide ban on water-cooled data centers. The board, in a joint hearing with the City Council's Planning and Development Committee chaired by Ben Harmon, unanimously backed Ordinance 224, which Planning Director Andrew Port said targets water use "regardless of size" after outreach to banks and utilities found little business interest in weighing in. The board also recommended two zoning map fixes, on Woodman Way and Federal Street, and approved a special permit for 9 Center Street with new written conditions on blasting and pre-construction surveys after abutters' counsel said prior verbal commitments hadn't been formalized.
A 12-unit development at 5 Park Street, scaled down from 14 units, was continued after members questioned a proposed mid-block crosswalk and raised concerns about the site's unit count, with Conservation Commission wetland-buffer issues still unresolved.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,240 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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