What Your Parish Council Is Doing About Data Centers
St. Charles Parish is actively debating how — and whether — to regulate data centers. Here's what's happened so far and what's coming next.
No data center has been proposed for St. Charles Parish. There are currently no plans, proposals, or applications for a large-scale data center in the parish. The council is acting proactively — deciding the rules before someone shows up asking to build. That's worth acknowledging, whether you agree with the pace or not.
April 6, 2026: Moratorium Vote
The parish council voted 5–3 to reject an eight-month moratorium on new data centers. The moratorium would have paused any data center permitting until the parish could develop comprehensive regulations.
Why the Moratorium Mattered
A moratorium isn't a ban — it's a pause. The question was whether to temporarily stop accepting data center permits while the parish finishes writing its regulations. Right now, there are no data center–specific rules on the books. The proposed ordinance hasn't been voted on yet. That means if a developer applied for a permit tomorrow, the parish would have no data center–specific zoning, noise limits, setback requirements, or water reporting standards to enforce. A moratorium would have closed that gap. Without one, the door is open — and once a facility is permitted, built, and operational, there is very little a local government can do to change the terms after the fact.
What Each Side Argued
Against the Moratorium (5 votes)
Michael Mobley — Against
Holly Fonseca — Against. Warned against sending "the wrong message to industry," noting the parish "has welcomed industry for many years."
Heather Skiba — Against
Willie Comardelle — Against
Bob Fisher — Against. Said he could not support "a moratorium that says St. Charles Parish is closed for business."
Their position: we can write regulations and stay open for business at the same time.
For the Moratorium (3 votes)
Michelle O'Daniels — For. "Until these regulations are in place then I am not in favor of just leaving an open gap."
LaSandra Wilson — For
Walter Pilè — For. Argued "this is being rushed" and the parish needs time for proper regulatory work.
Their position: regulate first, then open the door. A temporary pause protects residents while the parish gets the rules right.
Source: St. Charles Herald Guide, April 2026
What Residents Said
Residents spoke during public comment. Joseph Coco raised concerns about AI data centers creating minimal local employment. Joey Edwards, who lives near the Meta data center site in Richland Parish, called it "a disaster for residents" — offering a firsthand account of what large-scale data center development looks like from a neighbor's perspective.
Source: St. Charles Herald Guide, April 2026
The Proposed Ordinance
Parish President Matthew Jewell introduced a zoning ordinance to regulate data centers. The current draft includes protections that didn't exist in any prior version. Here's what's in it and what's missing.
What the Proposed Ordinance Requires
| Provision | What It Requires | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Facility or campus for processing, storage, retrieval, or communication of data. Explicitly excludes incidental equipment like office building servers. | Prevents the ordinance from accidentally applying to every business with a server room. |
| M-1 Zoning | Allowed in M-1 (light manufacturing), subject to Section VII supplemental regulations. | Smaller data centers can locate in industrial zones but must meet performance standards. |
| M-2 Zoning | Permitted only for data centers with onsite primary energy-generating facilities. Subject to Section VII. | The biggest, most resource-intensive facilities — the kind with their own power plants — are restricted to heavy industrial zones with additional oversight. |
| Setbacks | 300 ft minimum from residential zones, schools, daycares, assisted living, and parks. | At 300 ft, a 96 dB noise source drops to ~57 dB — about the volume of a conversation. A real buffer, not a token one. |
| Landscape buffer | 25+ ft deep; native Class A & B trees; dense, opaque four-season barrier. Licensed landscape architect required. | Visual and partial noise screening. Requires professional design, not a few shrubs. |
| Equipment screening | All ground and roof equipment screened from roads and sensitive uses via enclosures, walls, or landscaping. | Cooling fans, generators, and transformers can't just sit in the open facing your street. |
| Noise limits | Max 55 dBA at property lines near residential or noise-sensitive areas. Generator testing limited to weekdays 7 AM–6 PM. | Matches the Loudoun County, VA standard — the national benchmark for data center noise regulation. |
Source: St. Charles Parish proposed data center ordinance (current draft), 2026
What's Missing
The proposed ordinance addresses zoning and physical standards — where a data center can go, what it looks like, and how loud it can be. But several issues raised during the April 6 debate remain unaddressed:
Gaps in the Current Draft
No size definitions. Council member Walter Pilè flagged this directly during the April 6 debate: the ordinance doesn't distinguish between a small colocation facility and a 500-acre hyperscale campus like Meta's Richland Parish site. Those are fundamentally different operations with different impacts, and the regulations should reflect that. (Herald Guide)
No water consumption reporting. Data centers use millions of gallons for cooling. The ordinance doesn't require operators to publicly report how much water they consume — something Texas already mandates. (Utility Dive)
No demand response requirements. During grid emergencies, data centers can keep running at full power while homes and businesses are asked to cut back. Texas requires data centers over 75 MW to participate in demand response. This ordinance doesn't. (Utility Dive)
No ratepayer cost protections. Zoning ordinances don't typically address utility rate impacts, but the broader question of who pays for infrastructure to serve data centers isn't covered here or anywhere else in parish policy. (The Lens)
No clawback or enforcement mechanism. If a data center violates noise limits or screening requirements, the ordinance doesn't specify penalties, enforcement procedures, or monitoring requirements.
What Happens Next
April 6, 2026 COMPLETED
Council voted 5–3 against 8-month moratorium. Parish President Jewell introduced zoning ordinance for data centers.
May 18, 2026 UPCOMING
Council considers Jewell's data center zoning ordinance. This is the vote that determines what rules actually apply to any future data center proposal in St. Charles Parish.
Ongoing
No data center has been proposed for St. Charles Parish. The regulations under discussion are preventive — writing the rules before anyone asks to build.
Watch the Meeting
The full April 6, 2026 council meeting — including the data center moratorium debate — is available as a replay on SCP-TV, the parish's government access channel.
How to Watch
SCP-TV Replay: April 6, 2026 Council Meeting
Legislative Committee: April 6, 2026 Legislative Committee Meeting
Meetings are also archived on the parish website and the parish's Facebook and YouTube accounts.
How to Participate
Next Meeting
Date: May 18, 2026, 6:00 PM
Location: Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, St. Charles Parish Courthouse, 15045 River Road, Hahnville, LA 70057
Petition deadline to speak: May 11, 2026 (one week prior)
Agendas & minutes: stcharlesparish.gov/government/council-meeting
Live stream: SCP-TV
Replay: Parish video archive
If you have an opinion on data center regulations — whether you think the ordinance goes too far, not far enough, or is about right — there are two ways to make it heard.
Speak at the Meeting
You have a legal right to address the council. To do so, you must submit a written petition at least one week before the meeting — that means by May 11, 2026 for the May 18 vote.
How to submit your petition:
By email: Send your request to Council Secretary Michelle Impastato at mimpastato@stcharlesgov.net. Include your name and the subject you want to address (e.g., "data center zoning ordinance").
By mail: St. Charles Parish Council Office, PO Box 302, Hahnville, LA 70057
In person: Pick up a petition form at the Parish Council Office, 2nd Floor, St. Charles Parish Courthouse, 15045 River Road, Hahnville.
Online: The petition form ("Right to Direct Participation") is available at stcharlesparish.gov/government/parish-council.
Speakers get 5 minutes, extendable to 8 with council approval.
Contact Your Council Member Directly
You don't have to speak at a meeting to be heard. Contact your district representative before the May 18 vote — a phone call or email telling them your position carries weight.
Find your council member: stcharlesparish.gov — Council Members
Council Office phone: (985) 783-5125
Council Secretary: Michelle Impastato — mimpastato@stcharlesgov.net
St. Charles Parish has 7 district seats and 2 at-large seats. Find which district you're in using the parish district map.
You Don't Need to Be an Expert
You don't need to know the details of every bill or docket number. You're a resident. "I live in District 3 and I have concerns about data center regulation in my parish" is enough. The council works for you — showing up or sending an email is how that relationship functions.