Planning Board shortens data center moratorium to one year
The Boxborough Planning Board voted 4-0 to shorten its proposed data center moratorium from a 2028 deadline to one year after Town Meeting.
Planning Board · Meeting of October 13, 2026
BOXBOROUGH — The Boxborough Planning Board voted 4-0 to shorten its proposed data center moratorium from a 2028 deadline to one year after Town Meeting. Clerk Chris Dowdy and town land-use staff member Alec said legal counsel warned the longer timeline was a "point of potential critical failure" that could let Town Meeting strike the provision and jeopardize the whole bylaw. The board changed the expiration date to November 16, 2027, exactly one year after the special fall Town Meeting where the article will be considered.
Members Mark White, Gary Kushner, Rebecca Verner and Dowdy all voted in favor. The board also kept a disputed provision on "determination of electrical load only" after Dowdy said it preserves room to later define clear moratorium criteria. Staff separately said an application for a new fire station building is expected October 19, 2026, ahead of a board site visit.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
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- The complete report — 1,260 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of October 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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