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Sitka planners vote down data centers for now
By Anna Laffrey
Daily Sitka Sentinel
As data center developers show interest in Alaska, city leaders are taking steps to keep data centers out of Sitka until proper local protections are in place.
At their regular meeting Wednesday night Planning Commission members recommended in a 4-0 vote that Sitka define data centers in city zoning code, and for now prohibit data center development in any zone.
The commission’s recommendation will go to the Assembly for consideration.
Commissioners agreed Wednesday that data centers should not be allowed as a conditional use in any zone of Sitka because the city’s conditional use permitting standards are inadequate for determining whether these facilities – housing rapidly evolving technologies – could harm local people, nature or resources.
Commission member Wendy Alderson said that if Sitka allows data centers to be permitted as a conditional use in any zone, it may have its “hands tied” into approving a facility that meets the existing legal requirements for a standard conditional use permit.
“I'd be happy to revisit this when we know a little bit more about the effects data centers will have on small coastal communities," Alderson said Wednesday, before the vote. "For now, I don't support them as a conditional use permit anywhere in Sitka."
Commission member Jacquie Foss echoed that sentiment: “I am not opposed to data centers being a conditional use, however, I do not think we have the appropriate conditions in our code to do that at this time."
“Until we can have conditions that address energy consumption, impacts to air quality and potentially impacts to our broadband capability, I don't know,” Foss said before the vote.
The commission members agreed Sitka should define data centers in code so the city can identify and properly respond to any future proposals to develop a data center here.
At the beginning of the meeting, city staff explained that without any definition in city code, data centers could be permitted in Sitka in the same way as a self-storage facility, or another similar development type.
Commission member Robin Sherman emphasized that, without a definition in zoning code, “there is significant uncertainty around whether and where a data center might be allowed, and whether and how it could be permitted in Sitka.”
By the Sentinel's count 16 members of the public testified at the meeting, and 11 submitted written comments before the meeting.
Six speakers Wednesday said Sitka should ban data center development because of the potential that they would compete for Sitka's limited fresh water and hydropower supplies, harm quality of life, the environment, or public safety. Other considerations included neighborhood character, other uses of any zoning district in Sitka, and air, noise and other pollution.
Ten people expressed concerns about data center development, and urged caution and restriction, but did not explicitly ask for a ban.
Many said they don’t believe data centers would ever provide real benefit to the Sitka community.
Sustainability Commission Chair Aurora Taylor explained Wednesday that the commission was first to take up efforts to control data center development here.
“We are seeing across Alaska, and specifically in Southeast, an increase in data center interest from outside parties,” Taylor said in a presentation to the Planning Commission.
She noted that communities like Petersburg have been caught flat-footed by proposals for data center development in pre-existing buildings, given that many municipalities have not defined data centers in zoning code.
“As the Sustainability Commission, who has an interest in energy and water usage, we really wanted to get ahead of this," Taylor said. "We really wanted to prevent any kind of development that didn't have community approval or community input."
At a meeting Oct. 5 Sustainability Commissioners unanimously recommended that Sitka keep data centers from being allowed outright in any zone by defining data centers in city code, and determining the zones in which data center development is allowed.
City sustainability coordinator Bri Gabel spoke at the planning commission meeting, urging Sitkans to get involved in charting the future of energy usage in the community by taking the Sitka Community Renewable Energy Strategy survey at www.cityofsitka.com/SCRES
Gabel noted energy usage as a key concern related to data centers. "When it comes to energy usage, we do have a really good opportunity right now to give input on how energy is used in Sitka via this survey," Gabel told those present for Wednesday's meeting.
"That is the document that will help the city and the Planning Commission and the Sustainability Commission to actually determine how energy gets used in Sitka," Gabel said.
Gabel told the Sentinel today the city is seeking 300 survey responses and currently has just about 150 responses.
• This story originally appeared in the Daily Sitka Sentinel.
