The Southern Environmental Law Center is urging the Birmingham City Council to keep the special exception requirement for hyperscale data centers as it considers new regulations on the burgeoning industry.
After recently hearing testimony from dozens of concerned residents, the council voted unanimously to postpone a decision to early June, time enough for another round of deliberation before implementing the draft rules.
A major component of the proposed regulations would require hyperscalers that wish to develop in mixed-use development and light industrial zoned areas to go through a special exception process. As part of that process, law generally requires public hearings for zoning changes and variances, allowing public participation in the decision…