Grafton Planning Board Votes to Advance Data Center Moratorium to Fall Town Meeting

Planning Board · Meeting of July 27, 2026

Grafton Planning Board advances data center moratorium toward fall town meeting warrant. The board voted unanimously at its July 27 meeting to advance draft moratorium language that would bar new standalone data centers in Grafton until the 2027 fall town meeting or until a permanent zoning bylaw provision is adopted, whichever comes first. Director of Planning and Community Development Christian D'Emilia assembled the draft definition and moratorium language from examples across multiple municipalities, including a tiered megawatt-based framework used in Mansfield.

After extended debate over whether to embed a hard power threshold — Clerk Michael Rak proposed one megawatt or 1,000 kilovolt-amperes — the board settled on giving the building inspector discretion to determine whether a proposed use constitutes a data center, reserving hard numerical limits for the eventual permanent bylaw. A citizens petition on the same subject is in circulation; petitioners indicated they would withdraw if the Planning Board's article moves forward. D'Emilia was directed to confirm duration language with Town Counsel and return with a final article at one of the board's two August meetings.

The board also voted unanimously to forward a proposed 11-member Master Plan Implementation Committee structure to the Select Board for approval.

In the full story:

• Background and stakes
• The question before the body
• Substantive content
• The deliberation
• Procedural steps and outcome
• Implications and what is next
• The complete report — 2,260 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.