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Ontario Construction News staff writer<\/p>\n
Mississauga city council has approved a temporary pause on new large-scale data centre development while the city reviews its planning policies and regulations for the sector.<\/p>\n
Council approved an interim control bylaw Sept. 16 prohibiting applications for new major digital infrastructure facilities with a total peak power demand of 10 megawatts or more for up to one year.<\/p>\n
The measure applies citywide and includes conversions and expansions of existing facilities.<\/p>\n
An interim control bylaw allows municipalities to temporarily prohibit a specific type of development while conducting a study to determine an appropriate long-term planning approach.<\/p>\n
During the pause, city staff will conduct a policy review of major digital infrastructure facilities, including data centres that house servers, data storage and networking equipment.<\/p>\n
The review will examine whether changes are needed to Mississauga\u2019s Official Plan and Zoning By-law, as well as any new guidance or requirements contained in the Ontario government\u2019s Data Centre Playbook.<\/p>\n
The city says there will be opportunities for public input during the review. An interim report outlining the scope and timeline of the study is expected to be presented to council later this year.<\/p>\n
Once the review is complete, staff will make recommendations to council on planning policies and regulations for data centres and other major digital infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n
Data centres are currently classified as \u201cWarehousing, Distribution and Wholesaling\u201d under Mississauga\u2019s Official Plan. Under the city\u2019s Zoning By-law, they can fall under \u201cWarehouse\/Distribution\u201d or \u201cScience and Technology Facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several data centres are already permitted or operating in Mississauga.<\/p>\n
The city has also received a rezoning application for a proposed data centre at 0 Tenth Line West in the Meadowvale Business Park.<\/p>\n