Ontario Construction News staff writer
Mississauga city council has decided to put a temporary hold on new large-scale data centre projects while the city takes a closer look at its planning policies and rules for this industry.
The council approved an interim control bylaw on Sept. 16 that stops applications for new major digital infrastructure facilities with a peak power demand of 10 megawatts or more for up to one year.
This measure is applicable citywide and also covers any conversions and expansions of existing facilities.
An interim control bylaw gives municipalities the ability to temporarily halt certain types of development while they study how best to approach long-term planning.
During this pause, city staff will carry out a policy review focused on major digital infrastructure facilities, which include data centres that hold servers, data storage, and networking equipment.
The review will look into whether Mississauga’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law need updates, along with any new guidance or requirements from the Ontario government’s Data Centre Playbook.
The city indicates there will be chances for public feedback throughout the review process. An interim report detailing the scope and timeline of the study is expected to be shared with council later this year.
Once the review wraps up, staff will suggest recommendations to council regarding planning policies and regulations related to data centres and other significant digital infrastructure initiatives.
Data centres are currently categorized as “Warehousing, Distribution and Wholesaling” in Mississauga’s Official Plan. According to the city’s Zoning By-law, they might fall under “Warehouse/Distribution” or “Science and Technology Facilities.”
A number of data centres are already either approved or operational in Mississauga.
The city has also received a rezoning request for a proposed data centre located at 0 Tenth Line West in the Meadowvale Business Park.
City staff presented an information report to general committee on Sept. 9 about the province’s newly released Data Centre Playbook. Top of Form
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