Planning Board Advances Data Center Moratorium Draft
Southbridge Planning Board worked through a draft 365-day data center moratorium and pushed a Worcester Street zoning dispute to September.
Planning Board · Meeting of August 19, 2026
Southbridge Planning Board worked through a draft 365-day data center moratorium and pushed a Worcester Street zoning dispute to September. Members read numbered sections of a proposed bylaw that would halt new data center permitting, construction and operation townwide for a year while the town studies water, noise and visual impacts; any adoption would still need Massachusetts Attorney General review, which members said now takes three to four months rather than 30 days. A disputed use determination for 476 Worcester Street, contested as "business education" versus "medical office," was continued to a September 6 hearing.
The board also flagged a safety concern near Route 131, where a speaker said parked trucks at an auto repair shop create "a blind spot for about 10 seconds" and that "there have been accidents there," though no enforcement action was taken.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,538 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of August 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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