Opposition to data center near Nashville Zoo grows as city plays catch-up
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More than 350,000 people, including country music star Brad Paisley, have signed a petition opposing a proposed data center bordering the Nashville Zoo property.
Why it matters: Zoo executives worry the data center would upset, and perhaps even threaten, the animals under their care.
The big picture: Metro leaders are working to get ahead of the situation and create new regulations as more data center projects set their sights on Nashville.
- Metro Councilmember Rollin Horton introduced legislation to create land-use rules for data centers, including a ban on large-scale center campuses. Metro currently has no rules or restrictions on data centers in Davidson County, he says.
- In addition to the proposed center near the zoo, Fisk University unveiled plans for an on-campus data center, which is also receiving pushback.
Friction point: Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston, who represents the south Nashville neighborhood containing the zoo, opposes the project.
- Johnston issued a rarely-used "item A" challenge to the city's zoning decision to categorize the proposed data center as an office use. The designation illustrates how Metro lacked a definition in its zoning code for data centers.
- Johnston argues the facility, in the absence of a defined "data center" land use, should be more appropriately designated as a telecommunications facility.
State of play: Data center building firm DC Blox hasn't closed on the approximately $23 million sale of the property, but the firm has applied for some city permits, which sparked the backlash.
- Johnston's appeal would go before the city's Board of Zoning Appeals later this summer. In the meantime, she has proposed a 90-day data center moratorium as the city scrambles to address DC Blox's application.
What she's saying: "There's a group of people who say, 'No data centers, ban them from all from Davidson County,'" Johnston tells Axios. "That's not reality. I doubt that's something that will happen."
- "But we do need to define it, and have a good policy that will regulate where they can go and how large they can be, among other things."
The other side: In a statement to the Tennessean, DC Blox pointed out a small data center is already located on the site of its proposed new center.
- "The DC BLOX project would provide much-needed digital infrastructure to Nashville to support future economic growth and represents a substantial investment and expected tax contributions, especially compared to alternative uses of the site," DC Blox said.
Yes, but: Opponents fear the project will be even more grandiose in scale. The initial application details a 69,000-square-foot center, but also indicates future expansion plans.
Catch up quick: The zoo's leadership sounded the alarm bells last week.
- "Beyond their heavy resource consumption, researchers caution that data centers also contribute to noise pollution, light pollution, and threaten water quality in surrounding communities," a blog post on the zoo's website states. "For the Zoo's 3,000 animals and a neighborhood already facing economic challenges, this proposed development is especially concerning."
- The zoo, which is in the midst of its own expansion project, is a beloved community asset in Nashville, and residents have rallied around it. Paisley encouraged people to sign the petition, calling the proposal "an absolute nightmare scenario."
- The zoo announced Tuesday it also filed an appeal of the city's land use decision.
The bottom line: "We need to protect the zoo and the surrounding area, but we also need to protect neighborhoods across Nashville so this same situation doesn't pop up time and again," Johnston says.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information.