Malden boards back one‑year moratorium and new definition for stand‑alone data centers

The Malden Planning Board and the City Council Rules & Ordinance Committee jointly recommended approval of a zoning package on June 10 that would add a new use category and definition for “data centers” and place a one‑year moratorium on permits for stand‑alone data centers so the city can study potential infrastructure, environmental and health impacts.

Councilor Ari Taylor (Ward 5), sponsor of City Council Paper 276/2026, told the joint hearing the city currently lacks zoning rules for freestanding data centers and that the moratorium is intended to give the planning department and OSPCD time to research impacts and seek resident input before decisions are made. “We just want to make sure that we're proactively creating ordinances and zoning that make sense for the city,” Taylor said.

Planning staff explained the proposal has two parts: a moratorium on the issuance of zoning relief or building permits for primary‑use data centers, and a parallel amendment that would create a data‑center use classification (the paper also proposes language to prohibit data centers in all zoning districts as written). Michelle Ferguson of the Planning Department said the moratorium’s effective start date is tied to the first publication of the public hearing notice (May 22, 2026) and that the one‑year clock will run from the ordinance’s effective enactment date; she advised the board the department recommends the amendments as submitted.

Board members pressed for clarity on scope and timing. Eric Henry asked whether any firm had already approached the city; the sponsor said none had and that the intent was to avoid being “reactive.” Members discussed examples in nearby municipalities (Everett, Lowell) and cited potential local concerns, including increased utility demand, temporary generator use during peak loads and land‑use compatibility. A resident at the hearing urged strict limits after citing air‑quality issues and higher bills near some large data‑center clusters.

The Planning Board’s motion—moved by Diane Chuha and seconded by Eric Henry—to recommend approval of the proposed amendments passed by roll call vote, 9–0. The board’s action is advisory; the City Council holds final enactment authority and will receive the Planning Board’s recommendation for its consideration.

Next steps: the Planning Board delivered its advisory recommendation to the City Council; the council will consider the amendments and any final language for the moratorium or permanent use regulation in subsequent meetings.