Hampden Planning Board weighs data center rules, state housing law

The Hampden Planning Board met Sept. 16 for a workshop on two items: whether and how to regulate data centers in town, and how to respond to proposed state housing legislation, LD 2173. No votes were taken. The board leaned toward adding data centers as a defined conditional use and agreed to keep studying the housing law before its next workshop.

Key points

• On data centers, the board discussed adding a specific definition and use-table entry so the town could attach conditions rather than letting the use fall under a general category. No decision was made.
• Board members noted data centers use large amounts of water for evaporative cooling but do not send much flow to the sewer system.
• Several members said the industrial zone near the industrial park is the only realistic location in Hampden for a large data center, given water and power limits.
• A member who attended a council workshop said one councilor did not want to discourage data centers, and that a 60-day moratorium was discussed there.
• On LD 2173, the board reviewed proposed density rules, including allowing up to four dwelling units on lots in growth areas and limits on minimum lot size and parking requirements.
• Members raised concerns about how the law would affect the rural district, where minimum lot sizes could drop, and discussed using road frontage requirements to manage density.
• The board discussed whether to pursue a full rewrite of the town's land use ordinances, with staff estimating a two-to-three-year process and a possible six-figure cost.

Next steps

• Staff will prepare visual examples and a dimensional table for the next workshop to help the board understand the LD 2173 density changes.
• Staff will look into whether four or fewer dwelling units could go through major site plan review instead of subdivision review.
• Staff will research the cost and timeline of a full land use ordinance rewrite.
• The board plans another workshop next month, after the state vote on LD 2173 is expected.

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