McMinnville board imposes 18‑month moratorium on data centers after hours of public opposition

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of McMinnville voted unanimously to impose an 18‑month moratorium on acceptance, processing and approval of land‑use, zoning, building, site plan or conditional‑use applications for data centers and other high‑density computing facilities.

Residents filled the council chamber to oppose a privately proposed Hixon data center. At the podium, Alexis Whitman said the project ‘‘will do nothing but permeate our waters, pollute our air, and promote general discontent,’’ and called out concerns about diesel backup generators and water‑cooling systems. Dozens of other speakers — longtime residents, recent arrivals, former industry workers and conservation advocates — described noise and light pollution, possible contamination of local waterways, pressure on electric and water systems, declining property values and few local, long‑term jobs.

City leaders framed the vote as a pause for study. The ordinance before the board would halt new applications for 18 months while the city evaluates infrastructure, environmental, acoustic and utility impacts and considers code or zoning changes. The mayor told the chamber the city has issued no permits and made clear the moratorium is temporary. ‘‘This is not a ban,’’ the presiding official said during discussion; the restriction is a temporary stay on permitting while the city gathers more information.

Board members discussed legal risk and zoning ambiguity: staff noted that current zoning includes a category for data‑processing centers that may be allowed in I1, I2 and C3 zones, and courts in Tennessee tend to favor property owners when code language is ambiguous. Sally Brock moved to adopt the ordinance; Carrie Younglood seconded. In a roll call, Brock, Younglood, Dietra Dunlap, Steve Harvey, Rachel Kirby, Carrie Morton and Mayor Chad Stain all voted yes and the motion passed unanimously.

Many speakers urged that developers bear the cost of required studies. In response, staff said applicants would be required to submit required technical and environmental studies as part of any future application. The board also discussed the option to extend the moratorium if more time is needed to complete studies or town halls.

Speakers cited varying technical and numeric claims. Attendees alleged per‑facility water use figures ranging from hundreds of thousands to multi‑million‑gallon daily totals; one commenter cited eight 4.4 MW diesel generators producing 85–105 dB each and another offered an industry estimate of a 25 MW IT load for the project. City staff and the mayor repeatedly clarified that no city approvals or site studies have been issued and that the city will use the moratorium period to gather verified data and host public town halls.

The ordinance directs staff to study impacts and propose code language or other legal measures during the moratorium period; the board indicated those studies and potential regulatory changes would be discussed in public meetings during the 18‑month window. With the unanimous vote, the special meeting adjourned.

What happens next: under the ordinance, the city will not accept new permit applications for covered facilities while it conducts studies and community outreach. If the board determines more time is needed, members said the moratorium could be extended by vote.