Selectmen Vote to Begin Data Center Moratorium

Board of Selectmen · Meeting of October 28, 2026

Somerset's Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to send a draft zoning moratorium on data centers to the Planning Board for a public hearing. Chairman Allen Smith proposed the pause, modeled on a similar measure in New Bedford rather than Taunton's outright ban, saying a data center currently qualifies as an allowed use under the town's industrial zoning. Selectman Todd Costa called artificial intelligence "a necessary evil" but backed the delay to study water and power impacts.

Resident Paul Cogley pressed for a firm deadline rather than an open-ended pause, noting an unfinished zoning recodification project. The board also voted unanimously to submit preliminary Community Preservation Act requests of $150,000 for Old Town Hall, $100,000 for Village School, and $60,000 for a Council on Aging kitchen hood ahead of a November 4 deadline.

In the full story:

• Recognition of a Retiring Committee Volunteer
• Data Center Zoning Moratorium
• Community Preservation Act Preliminary Funding Requests
• Town Administrator Updates and Citizen Announcements
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,003 words

Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of October 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.