KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Knox County Commission is gearing up to discuss applying a litany of rules to any data centers that get built within the county. For the most part, the ordinance up for discussion this month is centered on forcing data center developers to make their centers easier to live near and easy on public infrastructure.
Should the ordinance pass, it will limit how big a data center can be. It caps data centers at 65 feet tall and forces them to keep 300 feet away from areas zoned for housing or other “sensitive receptors” like schools, churches or parks.
Distance isn’t the only requirement for keeping data centers from becoming a community nuisance. The ordinance would also require developers plant trees and shrubs and build fencing to keep a center out of view and the noise it produces from earshot…