The Rossville Planning Commission considered a proposed ordinance Thursday evening that would establish regulations for data centers operating within the city.
The discussion comes as questions continue to surround BridgTRK, a Chattanooga-based company planning a small-scale technology and communications facility on Bulldog Drive.
BridgTRK has said the proposed facility would support services the company provides to its customers and would be significantly smaller than the large-scale data centers that have generated concerns in communities across the country.
However, the proposed facility, along with broader concerns about data center development, has prompted questions from some Rossville residents and city officials about how such facilities should be regulated.
Under the proposed ordinance, data centers would be subject to several development standards, including limits on property size and equipment operating space.
According to the proposal, a data center could occupy no more than five acres. Equipment operating space within a single structure could not exceed 20,000 square feet.
For parcels containing less than two acres, equipment operating space would be limited to 10,000 square feet per acre.
During Thursday’s meeting, questions were raised about whether those limits should be reduced further.
“Why are we leaving it so wide open to allow the 20,000 square foot when this one’s gonna be significantly small?” one speaker asked. “Why don’t we scale that way back to say 10,000 square foot, 5,000 square foot?”
The discussion also turned to the amount of water and electricity the proposed BridgTRK facility is expected to use.
“What they’ve stated, what BridgTRK stated at the commission meeting, was that they would not be using any more water than a typical residence, and they would not be using any more energy than a typical residence,” the speaker said.
BridgTRK has previously stated that its planned facility would not use water as part of its cooling system. The company has said water consumption would primarily be limited to ordinary building needs.
The Planning Commission will forward its recommendation on the proposed ordinance to the city for consideration.
The final decision on the regulations will be made by Rossville Mayor Teddy Harris and the City Council, with a vote expected October 12.