Nashville data center zoning heads to Metro Council July 7: buffers, noise, water

Metro Council has scheduled a public hearing for July 7, 2026 on BL2026-1391, which would update Nashville’s data-center zoning rules and add new operational conditions.

Metro Planning Department staff’s June 25, 2026 report supports moving the bill forward as a substitute ordinance, meaning residents should focus on the substitute language in the Metro Legistar “Text” view as the deciding version.

The zoning approach is designed to shape where data centers can be sited (buffers/separation) and how they operate day-to-day (cooling, backup power, noise performance, water planning, and utility-review gates).

What Metro Council will consider July 7

BL2026-1391 is listed in Legistar as a Public Hearing item on 7/7/2026. Staff recommends Council approve the bill with a substitute.

In the substitute ordinance text, the proposed changes would amend Metro’s zoning code to add new “data center” use categories and conditions, including requirements tied to sensitive land uses and to core operational planning before a zoning permit can be approved.

Buffer/separation rules: small, medium, and large

The substitute ordinance text sets different separation distances depending on data-center size category:

• Data center – small: no data center on a parcel within 100 linear feet of a parcel containing a residential use (plus other sensitive uses listed in the ordinance, including daycare homes/centers, religious institutions, community education uses, parks, zoos, and other data centers).
• Data center – medium: no data center on a parcel within 500 linear feet of a parcel containing a residential use (and the same sensitive-use categories listed in the ordinance).
• Data center – large: no data center on a parcel within 2,640 linear feet of a parcel containing a residential use (and the same sensitive-use categories listed in the ordinance).

The text also includes additional screening/buffer-yard standards. For example, the medium category includes landscape buffer-yard standards plus an 8-foot tall masonry wall along specified property lines.

CHYM corridor angle: what staff recommends vs. what the text says

While the substitute ordinance “Text” document does not show the CHYM acronym directly, the June 25 Planning staff report says staff recommends a one half-mile separation from Choose How You Move (CHYM)-designated All-Access Corridors for medium and large data centers.

What to do with that information: don’t assume the CHYM corridor protection is finalized. Instead, check the Legistar substitute “Text” language and compare it to what the staff report describes.

Operational standards residents can look for in the Legistar text

Closed-loop cooling: the ordinance defines a “closed loop system” and says it shall not use evaporative cooling. It also requires that all cooling and ventilation equipment operate on a closed-loop system.

Backup generation limits: emissions-producing electrical generation is limited to backup and emergency use only, with operation limited to no more than 72 hours consecutively. The substitute also requires generators to meet U.S. EPA NSPS Tier 4 emission standards, with generator testing restrictions and recordkeeping.

Noise performance: a noise impact assessment is required with assessment distance at 500 feet from the property line. The ordinance text ties maximum permissible sound levels to 65 decibels during daytime (7:01 a.m. to 9:59 p.m.) and 55 decibels at night (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.).

Water-scarcity planning: before zoning permit approval, applicants must submit a water consumption and sustainability plan demonstrating water usage will not significantly strain local and regional water supply. The plan must address drought/scarcity vulnerability and measures such as advanced low-water or water-free cooling aligned with Metro Water Services’ drought management plan.

Utility “checks” before approval: the ordinance text requires written confirmations that Nashville Electric Service (NES) can provide electric service and that the applicable water and sewer utility has determined there is adequate capacity. It also requires an annual compliance report due no later than the first of January each year.

What residents should do before the July 7 hearing

• Open the Legistar “Text” for BL2026-1391 and locate the buffer/separation distances for small/medium/large data centers.
• Check the operational sections for closed-loop cooling, generator backup/emissions limits, and the specific noise and water-planning requirements.
• Use the staff report as a cross-check on the CHYM corridor recommendation—then verify what, if anything, made it into the substitute “Text” language residents will actually be held to.

With the substitute ordinance under Council review on July 7, this is the moment to confirm exactly what the final ordinance text would require for any data-center proposal in Nashville and Davidson County.

Sources

• Metro Nashville Planning Department staff report (June 25, 2026) — Data Center Regulations / BL2026-1391
• Metro Legistar — BL2026-1391 legislation text (definitions and operational standards)
• Axios Nashville (June 23, 2026) — Councilmember Horton update on data center regulation

Related News

• Nashville data center zoning proposals, moratorium headed to July 7 public hearing
• Spartanburg County votes to pause new data center applications for one year—what it means locally and where residents can comment June 25
• St. Louis data center zoning bill heads to aldermen with noise, power rules
• Spokane council introduces data center moratorium after Avista 500 MW pause