The Birmingham City Council voted to again hear from residents concerning proposals to temporarily suspend the construction of energy-intensive, large-scale data centers.

The council held a public hearing on such a proposal Jan. 13, and speakers overwhelmingly supported a moratorium on the centers.

As the use of artificial intelligence and cloud computing have proliferated, so has the need for ever-larger data centers. These new, massive server warehouses are often called hyperscale centers, and they use substantial energy resources.

According to city leaders, hyperscale centers use anywhere from 200 to 700 megawatts of electricity. A single megawatt can power 1,000 residential homes. Researchers also expect these facilities to consume tens of billions of gallons of water annually in the coming years.

Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who co-chairs the Planning and Zoning Committee, said Tuesday that the latest iteration of the proposal will temporarily halt the permitting of facilities that are 40 megawatts and larger.

“The concerns we’ve heard from the community were about these massive facilities that use lots of water and power,” O’Quinn said. “This amended ordinance is seeking to clarify those different tiers and focus on the ones that are clearly a concern for our residents that we’ve heard from.”

The hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. March 3 during the council’s regular meeting at the third floor of City Hall.

The council on Tuesday also set a public hearing to consider changes in zone district boundaries for properties in the city’s Northside-Southside Framework Plan.

The plan is meant to serve as a neighborhood-level guide for city leaders to implement Birmingham’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan. The communities covered in the Northside-Southside Plan include Central City, Druid Hills, Fountain Heights, Norwood, Five Points South, Glen Iris and Southside.

According to city officials, the comprehensive plan includes priorities such as reinvesting in historic neighborhoods, repurposing abandoned and publicly owned properties, expanding workforce and minority business development, improving access to parks and trails, and advancing sidewalk, streetscape and stormwater upgrades.

The Northside-Southside Framework public hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. March 31 during the City Council’s meeting on the third floor of City Hall.

Read more about Birmingham’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan.

Historical Commission Appointments

In other business, the council appointed five members to the Birmingham Historical Commission. The 11-member body identifies, designates and oversees local historic districts and landmarks, reviews proposed changes to historic properties and ensures that modifications are compatible with the historic character of the area.

The commission also advises the mayor and council on preservation policy, supports educational programs, and works to balance historic preservation with responsible development across the city. The following individuals were appointed to three-year terms:

• Valerie Abbott (community leader)
• Cheryl Morgan (Design Review Committee)
• Wayne Hester, (Birmingham Historical Society)
• Laura Knott (professional historian)
• Josh Vasa (ex-officio member)

Extra School Funding

Approved a total of $45,000 in allocations for Birmingham City Schools extracurricular programs from four councilors.

• District 1 Councilor Clinton Woods: $28,000 for Huffman High School Athletics and the W.J. Christian School choir.
• District 2 Councilor Hunter Williams: $2,500 for the W.J. Christian School choir.
• District 4 Councilor Brian Gunn: $10,000 for Woodlawn High School Scholarly Expedition.
• District 8 Councilor Sonja Smith: $5,000 for Jackson Olin High School Athletics and BCS middle school softball teams.

Vasa Holds District Town Hall

Councilor Josh Vasa will host a town hall meeting for District 3 residents from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Vulcan Park and Museum.

District 3 covers some or all of Crestwood South, East Avondale, Five Points South, Forest Park/South Avondale, Glen Iris, Highland Park and Redmont Park.

Vasa said the event will focus on issues such as community priorities, rezoning efforts, infrastructure projects and public safety.

According to Vasa, the meeting is the culmination of his resident priority survey.

“It’s been really encouraging to see the buy-in we’ve had from the community in regards to this survey and providing us with a clear picture of the concerns and expectations our neighbors have,” Vasa said. “Our goal is to ensure policies reflect current needs and long-term goals of our neighborhoods. I look forward to continuing those conversations this Thursday evening and beyond.”