LORDSTOWN — With the current 180-day moratorium on data centers expiring on Independence Day, village council on Monday approved by emergency reading extending that moratorium for another 180 days, effective July 5.

Village council on Monday had a public hearing on the extension, with few residents in attendance and only one person making comments.

Resident Laurie Czoka told council she supports what they are doing and noted that in November during a public hearing on data centers, most residents in attendance wanted a ban on them.

“The residents do not want data centers here. They attended that meeting in November and made their concerns and opinions known. Thank you for keeping the residents in mind,” Czoka said.

Mayor Jackie Woodward said she supports the emergency passage of the legislation by council.

“I am on board with council’s decision for emergency passage,” she said.

Woodward said this extension will provide council with more time to do research and review data centers.

Councilman Mark McGrail said informational moratorium committee meetings have taken place with Brian Frantz, who is serving as a consultant to the village on having legislation in place to deal with data centers and guidelines for them.

Frantz said at a recent committee meeting the village needs to make sure the planning commission and zoning boards have all the information they need to make the best decision when dealing with data center applications.

“These individuals are volunteers who care enough to be there so you need to empower them with professional advice and the right code language for them to use. You need to have the right language in your codes so that your solicitor will have the ability to fight off any frivolous lawsuit,” Frantz said.

He said he can assist the village in reviewing any future data center applications.

Frantz said standards that must be covered in the zoning code include setback requirements on the property, and landscaping and lighting guidelines, as a way to protect the community.

Officials said there is concern of noise, heat and water usage from such centers.

Woodward said she recently went to New Albany where there is a data center and if such businesses want to be located in a community, they must conform to the guidelines in zoning codes. Hubbard Township trustees also recently went to New Albany because a data center is considering a site there.

Frantz said there also needs to be mechanisms in place to secure revenue from such centers since construction of data centers can be expensive.

Councilman Lamar Liming asked what if other companies want to come in besides a data center. Frantz said regardless of the type of business, there needs to be conditions and regulations in place in the zoning codes.

He said conditional uses can address heat, water and soil protection, air quality, building height and size, and sound decibel. There can also be landscape standards, lot coverage percentages and yard requirements.

Councilman Robert Bond said officials will begin addressing conditional uses.

The committee has scheduled two additional meetings with Frantz at 5:30 p.m. July 16 and Aug. 27.

McGrail said committee meetings are open to the public.