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A well-intentioned plan missing teeth and a sense of scale

From "Data Centers"

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I like data centers. I think Internet is good. I revile the proportion of beneficial to maleficent uses of these technologies.

I am sure we cannot keep them out. I do not have the money to combat people who will let them pay for approval. I think this direction of clear regulation is the way to go.

This document, however, notices the problems and does not escalate a solution. Not knowing how this will be resolved makes it impossible to get on board. Generic cynicism has unfortunately proven more useful lately than democratic trust. There is no policy guidance here and I think at least some of the people who helped to draft it must know this.

Official updates

Last update: May 6, 2026

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Thanks for the update. This has a lot more good detail in it. We might need more categories, as it seems like the floor of "Major" is much lower than large new projects. I wonder about a schedule to reconsider as well, since modes of energy production and experience with existing implementation probing the regulations may change the equations. The downtown strategy seems to push towards micro centers, but that might not support adaptive reuse or mixed use. Maybe the way to think about this is like how parking "works" right now. Some residential or office buildings have small garages built in, but it is probably better to have a few large structures that are easier to control. I am pleased that the environmental controls seem strong enough that the state-of-the-art needs to reach to fit within them, rather than setting an unmotivating floor. However, I don't think the city has enough access or control of Ameren to enforce the energy part of the plan - and I'm not sure I know the solution. Concerns about job displacement, wealth inequality, surveillance, etc. are all interesting, but we're not solving that with zoning, I'm sure. Good work, team. I hope it all works out.
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proposed

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Sustainable development
Energy and technology
Public spaces and buildings
Community development