New regulations are in the works for data centers in the Biggest Little City.
City Council voted unanimously to direct staff to amend city code to add the new regulations. This comes as a new data center is under construction on Keystone Avenue.
The discussion on Wednesday started well before council chambers opened at 10 a.m.
The Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter rallied dozens of people in favor of data center regulation at the Believe Plaza starting at 9:15.
"We've seen across the country communities where data centers come in, where folks are seeing skyrocketing electric electricity bills, contaminated water resources, as well as noise pollution that's disrupting communities and people's way of life," said Cullin McGinnis, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter.
Councilman Devon Reese attended the rally after he called for a moratorium on Tuesday. The mayoral candidate previously voted in favor of the Webb & Oppidan data centers in the north valleys.
Over 150 public commenters shared concerns ranging from energy use to water contamination to noise pollution. One of them lives right next to the data center being built on keystone.
"We bought that house thinking that we were just going to have a nice, quiet corner. and now to live the rest of our lives in," Krista George said, "and now the thought of our property value tanking and, you know, our health being at risk every day."
During public comment, George brought up concerns with noise from the data center, and its negative effects on her and her husband's health.
"He already is prone to migraine headaches. I'm prone to vertigo. And this noise that's going to be produced has been already studied to show that it causes sleep deprivation and headaches," George said.
George and her husband, Jeff Schomberg, have lived there for 13 years.
Schomberg's art studio is in their home. His work includes the Believe sign downtown, where the Sierra Club rallied before the meeting.
George hopes the city passes stricter rules for data centers, if they're allowed at all.
"I just want them to stop for a minute and see how it affects the city," she said.
Once public comment wrapped up after over three hours, the city's presentation compared these concerns with proposed positives of data centers. These positives included supporting computing power an economic diversification.
During the council's discussion, members discussed the benefits of a data center to the city, and the possibility of a moratorium, or pause, on future data centers after today's decision.
A moratorium could not have been passed Wednesday since it wasn't on the meeting agenda. The city said it will work to get the moratorium on a future agenda.
Because of the item's significance to the community, it could be heard at a special meeting.
"Just understanding how many people are really, interested in this topic. Obviously, this this item was very long today. So, the special meeting is really trying to accommodate a lot of that conversation," said Lauren Knox, Senior Planner for City of Reno Development Services.
This comes as residents are concerned with the Keystone Data Center and future projects.
