Agricultural Preservation
Local Interventions
Pass Zoning Ordinances and Municipal Code Amendments
A key vehicle to limit or restrict data center development is to update the municipal code, often including zoning requirements, usage requirements, and other siting decisions. Through these mechanisms, local governments can dictate where and how data centers can be constructed. Local governments can take one or multiple approaches, including the following:
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A key vehicle to limit or restrict data center development is to update the municipal code, often including zoning requirements, usage requirements, and other siting decisions. Through these mechanisms, local governments can dictate where and how data centers can be constructed. Local governments can take one or multiple approaches, including the following:
Prohibit Rezoning Processes That Transform Agricultural Districts into Data Center Developments Parent = pass-zoning-ordinances-and-municipal-code-amendments
Data center developers are purchasing large swaths of land with the intention of rezoning agricultural districts into industrial zones. Communities must protect against this by prohibiting rezoning that transforms farmland into data center developments. To counter pressure to sell, communities can invest in farmland preservation funds. example In September 2025, the Township Board in Saline […]
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Data center developers are purchasing large swaths of land with the intention of rezoning agricultural districts into industrial zones. Communities must protect against this by prohibiting rezoning that transforms farmland into data center developments. To counter pressure to sell, communities can invest in farmland preservation funds.
example
In September 2025, the Township Board in Saline County, Michigan, voted four to one against rezoning 575 acres of farmland into land suitable for a data center development. Immediately following the vote, the developer filed a lawsuit accusing the township of exclusionary zoning. A settlement agreement includes provisions specifying the project will use only 250 acres of farmland, preserving the remaining land as undeveloped or agricultural lands. There are also provisions requiring the developer to restore the land as a natural area with a decommissioning fund if the data center is decommissioned, as well as $14 million given to the community for farmland preservation, community investment, and fire services.