Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky puts water, noise and power at the heart of emerging data center standards at City Hall

Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky is applauding the Scottsdale City Council’s unanimous direction to move forward with developing standards for future data centers — with a focus on protecting the city’s water resources, neighborhoods and infrastructure.

Scottsdale City Council unanimously gave direction at last night’s work study directing the City Attorney’s Office to examine the municipality’s existing regulatory framework and potential policy considerations for data centers.

“Technology is evolving rapidly, and Scottsdale needs to be prepared before the next major proposal arrives at City Hall,” Mayor Borowsky said following the unanimous approval of her proposal.

“I appreciate the unanimous support of my council colleagues to take a thoughtful look at this issue now. We can welcome innovation and economic investment while making certain those opportunities align with Scottsdale’s long-term responsibility to our residents and our resources.”

A key priority for Mayor Borowsky is water.

Mayor Borowsky, who serves on the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association Board of Directors, says she wants future development standards to encourage the most efficient use of Scottsdale’s water resources, including examining cooling systems that recirculate water and other technologies that can reduce overall consumption.

“In the desert, every serious conversation about major development has to include water,” Mayor Borowsky points out. “If a proposed data center requires significant water for cooling, we should expect that facility to demonstrate that it is using water as efficiently and responsibly as possible. We need to look closely at technologies and systems that can recirculate cooling water and minimize unnecessary consumption.”

Scottsdale Zoning Administrator Erin Perrault gave the Oct. 20 work study presentation illustrating how water demand can vary dramatically between facilities. She points out that Scottsdale has two existing data centers:

• The first facility is at 8521 E. Princess Drive and is approximately 74,000 square feet, has electrical capacity of more than 5.8 megawatts and uses approximately 55,000 gallons of water per day.
• A second facility at 7499 E. Paradise Lane is approximately 99,000 square feet, has electrical capacity of more than 11 megawatts and uses approximately 3,500 gallons per day.

Scottsdale does not define or regulate a “data center,” according to city code, Ms. Perrault explained at the work study discussion.

Such facilities fall under the broader “Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services” land-use classification and are permitted by right in Industrial Park and Light Employment districts.

Noise and neighborhood compatibility are also priorities for Mayor Borowsky as data centers can include cooling equipment and backup generators, while Scottsdale’s existing standards governing setbacks, buffering, equipment screening and noise were not developed specifically for data centers.

“Scottsdale residents should not have their quality of life diminished by the constant operation of industrial equipment,” Mayor Borowsky said. “We need standards that carefully consider where these facilities are located, how equipment is positioned and screened, and how noise is mitigated so our neighborhoods are protected.”

Mayor Borowsky says that she wants the city to have a clear understanding of the electrical requirements associated with any future data center proposal.

“We need to understand exactly what these projects will demand from our infrastructure before approvals are granted,” Mayor Borowsky said. “That means looking closely at at the infrastructure burdens and how they could affect Scottsdale. Those questions need to be answered on the front end.”

Under the City Council’s direction, staff will continue evaluating possible policy approaches and return to City Hall with recommendations.

“This is about getting ahead of an emerging issue rather than reacting to it later,” Mayor Borowsky said. “Scottsdale should remain a place where innovation can succeed, but innovation must be compatible with responsible water stewardship, reliable infrastructure and the quality of life our residents expect. Setting clear expectations now gives residents, developers and the city greater certainty going forward.”