Effort to hold referendum on Mason data center ordinance now in front of City Council

Mason residents presented a petition with more than 700 signatures to the Mason City Council on Monday night in an effort to place a referendum on the ballot to repeal the M-3 data center ordinance. The ordinance, passed earlier this year, sets zoning and environmental rules for potential data center developments. Residents said the measure is dangerously inadequate and does not sufficiently address concerns including lithium battery usage and noise pollution. It would also permit data centers as a use by right, according to resident Megan Short. "That removes meaningful discretion over whether a project is appropriately sited," Short said. "This is the most critical flaw in this ordinance. It's literally what we mean when we say this ordinance was a 'data center welcome mat.'" Resident Patrick Lind said Mayor Russell Whipple's prior comparison of data center restrictions to limits on other commerce was unfair. He suggested comparing a data center instead to a 300-acre industrial scrap yard or a solid fuel generation plant. Council members reviewed the petition but took no action on whether to repeal the ordinance themselves or allow a public vote. They are waiting for a legal opinion from the city attorney, which could take several weeks. City Council member John Vercher, who helped create the ordinance, said he now believes it should be repealed. "I'm disappointed in the outcome, but I'm also a firm believer in the democratic process and the people have spoken," Vercher said. The petition organizers want to draft a new ordinance with stronger protections.