The Salem, Massachusetts City Council is scheduled to consider a proposed amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance that would add a formal definition for “Data Center,” according to the published agenda for the council’s Sept. 9, 2026 meeting.
The agenda item proposes amending Section 10.0 Definitions of the zoning ordinance by inserting a new definition immediately following the existing definition for “COOP.” According to the agenda text, the proposed definition describes a data center as “a facility, or portion thereof, primarily designed or used to house computer servers and related information technology infrastructure for the stor[age]” of data, though the full text of the definition as published is truncated in the available agenda excerpt.
For Salem residents, the matter is significant because zoning definitions establish the legal framework used by the city to classify and regulate land uses. Adding a specific definition for “data center” to the ordinance would create a formal category that could be referenced in future zoning decisions, permitting processes, or use restrictions, according to the agenda language.
- Meeting date: Sept. 9, 2026
- Location: Salem, MA
- Agenda item: Amendment to Section 10.0 Definitions, zoning ordinance
- Proposed change: New definition for “Data Center” inserted after the “COOP” definition
- Meeting type: Council Vote, per the published agenda
The item is listed on the agenda for consideration at the Sept. 9, 2026 council meeting. The published agenda does not indicate the outcome of the vote, as the meeting has not yet occurred as of this writing.
Residents seeking more information or wishing to comment on the proposed zoning definition can review the full agenda at the link provided by the City of Salem and may attend the Sept. 9, 2026 meeting in person to participate in any public comment period, per standard council meeting procedure referenced in the agenda posting.
Official source: the published record