Council passes data-center zoning rules after days of public testimony and amendments

The Metropolitan Council on third reading approved BL2026-1391, a package of zoning code updates that adds new data-center uses, definitions and conditions, and a companion ordinance (BL2026-1392) that restricts certain construction materials.

Supporters called the vote the start of necessary protections. Public commenters described risks to neighborhoods and wildlife near the Nashville Zoo and urged measures ranging from distance rules to quarterly reporting. "BL2026-1391 is just the beginning. Protect Nashville," said Emily, an artist and local real estate professional, during the public-comment period.

Council debate and committee work produced multiple amendments. Adopted changes require the submission of emergency-response and power-resiliency plans for fire and emergency review before occupancy, and add annual public reporting of power-usage-effectiveness (PUE) and water-usage-effectiveness (WUE) to the zoning administrator. Council also adopted notice requirements for nearby property owners and clarified definitions for emergency backup generation and qualifying renewable energy sources.

Sponsor Council Member Rand Horton described the package as a compromise forged in committee that codifies new operational reports and site-review steps. Opponents on the floor urged additional limits; Council Member Styles, who has resisted placing the new office that would oversee arts and culture inside the mayor’s office in a separate debate, argued that some creative- and neighborhood‑centered concerns remained unresolved.

The ordinance’s supporters said the rules strike a balance: the council can approve guardrails now and pursue stronger technical and environmental rules later. The measure passed its third and final reading as amended.

What comes next: the zoning administrator will publish the new reporting requirements and review procedures, and affected projects will be evaluated under the updated SP/final-site-plan process before any building permits or occupancy certificates are issued.