Salem residents have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, to weigh in on how the city should regulate data centers.
The city's online survey collects feedback on the Data Center Task Force's preliminary recommendations and a proposed zoning code amendment.
Responses will help shape the proposals the task force presents to Salem City Council in December, according to the city's project page.
The survey asks residents to react to three preliminary recommendations. They would:
- Prohibit large hyperscale data centers in Salem
- Allow only smaller data centers that use up to 10 megawatts of power
- Permit small accessory data centers that serve other main uses on the same property, such as offices
The 10-megawatt cap would draw a line between the massive facilities tech companies have proposed across Oregon and the smaller server operations that already support local businesses.
The full text of the proposed code amendment and the complete list of task force recommendations were not available in the materials the city posted online.
The City of Salem promoted the survey on its Instagram account Thursday, Oct. 22, writing that "the conversation is moving from ideas to action." The survey is also available in Spanish.
The task force's work comes as data center development remains a charged issue locally and statewide.
A Silicon Valley company called Verrus is building an AI data center in Salem. Salem Reporter reported on Oct. 14 that Verrus said Gov. Tina Kotek's recent directive pausing state-issued air and water discharge permits would not affect the current stage of its project.
Kotek's directive, issued Friday, Oct. 9, ordered the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to stop issuing those permits until July 1, 2027, according to Salem Reporter, which credited the Oregonian with first reporting the order.
The specific December date for the City Council presentation has not been announced. Residents can take the survey at the city's data center project page by clicking the "Community Survey" link.
