Nashville data center moratorium & zoning rules: ticketed hearing Tuesday
Metro Council used ticketed signups for July 7 data-center public hearings. Here’s what BL2026-1448 and BL2026-1391 do—and how to speak.
Metro Council held two connected data center public hearings on Tuesday, July 7: one ordinance would pause certain data-center permit approvals while rules are updated, and the other would create a data-center-specific zoning framework. Because officials expected high turnout, the Metro Council Office used a ticketed queuing system for the two data-center hearing items.
What the ticketed queue meant for speakers
The Metro Council Office said speaker tickets for the data-center public hearing items (BL2026-1391 and BL2026-1448) were issued by Council Office staff from a table on the second-floor mezzanine starting at 5 p.m. The Office said queuing would be organized to minimize standing time.
Council chamber seating opened to the public at 5:30 p.m. The Announcements and Presentations Period ran at 6 p.m. and the Council meeting began at 6:30 p.m. The Metro Council Office also said BL2026-1391 and BL2026-1448 were the final items in the public hearing section of the agenda.
For the data-center items, speakers were heard in ticketed order with up to two minutes per speaker. The Office also noted that ADA accommodations could be requested in advance, and that Council public hearings include Spanish interpretation services.
(For other non-public-hearing agenda items, standard public comment was set to begin at 5 p.m. and was limited to 20 minutes total, with up to two minutes per speaker.)
Ordinance 1 (BL2026-1448): what the temporary data center moratorium would pause
BL2026-1448 would impose a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing, approval, and issuance of zoning, building, or grading permits for data center developments within Nashville and Davidson County.
The text specifies the pause applies through the Metropolitan Department of Codes Administration and the Metropolitan Water Services Department for data center development permits, and it would run until November 1, 2026 or until the effective date of BL2026-1391 and BL2026-1392—whichever happens first.
The ordinance also defines what it considers a data center development for this purpose, and it includes an important exclusion: a server room is not considered a data center if it is a dedicated closet/room less than 500 square feet that relies on the principal use’s existing HVAC and electrical supply.
Ordinance 2 (BL2026-1391): the proposed data center zoning framework
BL2026-1391 would amend Nashville’s zoning code (Title 17) to add new data center use types, definitions, and conditions. It sets five use types: accessory, small, medium, large, and campus.
Where data centers could be placed (buffer distances)
The zoning framework includes location limits using linear-foot buffers from sensitive uses. For example, it includes:
- 100 linear feet for certain data center location categories (measured from parcel lines).
- 500 linear feet for other categories.
- 2,640 linear feet tied in part to the Choose How You Move (CHYM) All-Access Corridor distance.
It also makes clear that “data center – campus” is not permitted within Davidson County (and is not permitted in any zoning district).
Operational and design conditions aimed at neighborhood impacts
Beyond where a data center could sit, BL2026-1391 includes operational/design conditions. Key examples:
- Cooling/ventilation: cooling and ventilation equipment must operate on a closed-loop system.
- External equipment and right-of-way spacing: cooling/ventilation and other external equipment can’t be placed between the primary data center building and a public right-of-way (with an exception for rooftop locations).
- Noise limits: maximum sound levels can’t exceed 65 decibels during the daytime (7:01 a.m. to 9:59 p.m.) or 55 decibels during the nighttime (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), measured from any property line.
The ordinance also lays out generator limits, including: emissions-producing electrical generation is for backup and emergency use only (excluding generator testing/commissioning). Outside emergencies (or without NES permission), operation is limited to no more than 72 hours consecutively for testing. Generator testing is capped at 10 hours per month and must occur only between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The text also requires generators to be fully enclosed within a sound attenuation wall and calls for a generator testing log on request.
For power infrastructure siting, BL2026-1391 restricts substations: they are only permitted in the IWD, IR, and IG zoning districts and must be located at least 50 feet from any public right-of-way or adjacent parcel (and vehicle storage/service can’t be collocated with the substation).
Utility-availability confirmations and compliance reporting
On permitting/approval, BL2026-1391 includes utility availability requirements. The ordinance requires written confirmation at the time of application that Nashville Electric Service (NES) reviewed the proposed data center and agreed to provide electric service; no zoning permit may be approved if NES has not agreed. It also requires written confirmation that the applicable water/sewer utility has determined adequate capacity; again, no zoning permit may be approved if there is insufficient water/sewer capacity.
It also adds compliance expectations, including an annual compliance report due no later than the first of January each year, and it prevents applicants from dividing projects into separate buildings/phases/parcels to avoid classification.
Why the Mayor’s office said the ordinances were paired
In a message to Metro Council about the Tuesday agenda, Mayor Freddie O’Connell argued the zoning code doesn’t currently distinguish between a small server room and a much larger campus-scale project, and he urged Council to “press pause” by pairing the zoning framework with the moratorium legislation.
What happens next
These hearings were part of the legislative process—public testimony helps the Council consider the ordinances, but it doesn’t automatically guarantee how the final votes will go. Residents who care about data-center impacts in Nashville should review the ordinance text itself so they can point to the specific provisions they want changed (or strengthened) before final action.
Sources
- Metro Council Office: additional procedures for the July 7, 2026 Metro Council meeting and public hearings (ticketed queuing system)
- BL2026-1448: data center moratorium ordinance (full text on Legistar)
- WSMV: reporting on Nashville’s ticketed queuing system for data center public hearings
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.