Page 6 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 26, 2026 CITY COUNCIL | FROM PAGE 1 on Monday, June 22. Enrollment or the First Reading was passed at the last meeting on Monday, June 8. “We know residents are concerned and don’t want data centers and want to put restrictions on them,” Councillor at-Large Katy Rogers said. “Not having any regulations or restrictions is not in Everett’s best interest. Data centers were included as a use in the 2024 Master Plan for the EDID but not defined. This is a safeguard to close a loophole.” Data centers will be limited to 20,000 combined vertical and horizontal square feet Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. and five megawatts of power. Whichever number is smaller will take precedence because, as technology improves, less space may be for the same wattage. The 20,000 square feet is about the size of the Parlin Library. A data center would probably be a boxy design, however, and would be subject to the Special Permit and Master Plan review processes on its design and how it might blend into the area, plus periodic renewals. For comparative purposes, City Hall has about 60,000 square feet of finished area. A data center in the Macy’s building above commercial space in Boston’s Downtown Crossing is 800,000 square feet. The 20,000 square feet would probably be the equivalent of one floor of City Hall but divided into two floors in a multiuse building, presumably on the higher floors to allow commercial activity at street level. A data center is a facility that enables the internet by processing data. E-mail, web searches and virtually everything the internet is used for use them. The Science Feedback website reports there are 9,000 in the world, but more are needed and planned. “Without them, our tightly interconnected civilization would not exist,” it explains. It is not a simple computer room, of which there are many all around the area. Science Feedback also reports data centers need and use a lot of power, often drawn from local grids, including power needed for cooling. Up to one-third of the power needed may be for cooling. They can run on solar and wind power, but the inconsistency of those sources requires conventional sources of power as well. Data centers also use water for cooling, the volume of which could increase water use rates for the residents beS LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping cause the volume of use will increase. The same is true for electricity. In effect, residents could be subsidizing the data center by having to cover the cost of more water and electricity being used citywide. To address this, amendments to the zoning code also include provisions for data centers to use a closed loop cooling system in which water is recirculated through it, that data centers pay current electric and water rates if using city utilities and that data centers be required to pay for any upgrades to the electric system to meet their needs. It would also have to have its own generator as a backup power source in case of a power failure. The changes also include provisions for preferences for residents for jobs relating to a data center and minimum distances from housing to avoid noise pollution or provisions for noise mitigating measures. No specific proposals have been made, but The Davis Companies have been lobbying for friendly regulations. As they had on June 8, Councillors-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin and Stephanie Smith voted against the measure. There was no discussion, but on June 8 Smith said, “I still don’t know if data centers are the right thing for Everett.” Councillor-at-Large Michael Marchese also voted against on June 8 but voted yes on June 22. Other business A proposal by Rogers “promoting environmental sustainability by reducing single-use plastic service ware and single-use packaged condiments” is still being reviewed by the Subcommittee on Legislative Affairs and Elections. “If it needs more thought so people can do research that’s fine with me,” she said at the Subcommittee meeting before the full Council meeting. In the proposed ordinance, restaurants would give customers plasticware (i.e., forks, spoons and knives) and condiments on request and not automatically put them in togo or delivery orders. They would, however, be allowed to have those items available for use at self-service stations in the restaurant. “Instead of them being put in a bag automatically, it would be by request,” Rogers elaborated. “It would save businesses money because they wouldn’t be giving out excess and unused items. Many people take their food home and end up with a drawer full of plastic utensils they’re not going to use.” Enforcement would be by the Department of Inspectional Services (ISD). Initial offenses would generate written warnings, with a fine of $25 for the fourth offense and $50 for subsequent offenses, but Rogers said her goal is not to punish restaurants and levy fines but reduce litter. “If it reduces a little of the litter, it’s better than nothing,” she said. In discussion at the Subcommittee meeting, Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro asked if the regulations could be extended to companies outside Everett delivering food to Everett. City Solicitor Jaclyn Munson told him she would investigate that. The proposed ordinance cites, in part, Everett’s commitment “to environmental stewardship and the reduction of plastic pollution that impacts our local waterways, parks, and waste management systems; billions of single-use plastic utensils, straws and condiment packets are discarded annually in the United States, many of which are provided to customers automatically and thrown away unused; the production and disposal of single-use plastics and condiments contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation; and whereas local food service establishments face rising operational costs, and the automatic distribution of unwanted accessories represents an unnecessary financial burden on Everett’s small business community and Skip the Stuff initiatives have been successfully implemented in various municipalities across the Commonwealth, proving that an as-requested model effectively reduces environmental waste while providing immediate cost savings to businesses.”
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