Scope
Article 23 of the Mansfield Annual Town Meeting amends the Zoning Bylaws to define Data Centers in three tiers by maximum electrical demand and adds section 230-5.13, under which Tier I (Low Impact, 2 MW or less) Data Centers are permitted only by Special Permit from the Planning Board in the Planned Business District and the Industrial 1 and Industrial 2 districts, and Data Centers are prohibited in all other zoning districts. Permitted Tier I facilities are subject to performance standards in the same section. Whether Tier II and Tier III facilities are allowed in the Planned Business, Industrial 1 or Industrial 2 districts is not resolved by the certified copy.
- Geographic scope
- Town of Mansfield, Massachusetts
- Jurisdiction
- Local
- Authority type
- Local government
- Issuing authority
- Mansfield Town Meeting
Dates
- Adopted
- 5 May 2026
- Effective
- Effective status not verified
- Scheduled expiration
- See completion condition
- Ended
- Not recorded as ended
- Completion condition
- The bylaw amendment states no end date.
- Source document
- 5 May 2026
- Last checked
- 1 November 2026
Summary
At the 5 May 2026 session of the Annual Town Meeting, Mansfield voters passed Article 23 by a two-thirds majority, amending the Zoning Bylaws on data centers. The amendment defines three tiers of data center by electrical demand, allows Tier I facilities of 2 MW or less only by Planning Board special permit in the Planned Business, Industrial 1 and Industrial 2 districts, and states that data centers are prohibited in all other zoning districts; whether Tier II and Tier III facilities may locate in those three districts is not resolved by the certified copy. The source is the Town Clerk's certified copy of the vote, which the town posted as its submission to the Attorney General; it does not show the Attorney General's review. The bylaw states no end date and does not address existing facilities.
What this does not establish
- The source is the Town Clerk's certified copy of the Town Meeting vote, posted by the town as its Attorney General submission; the Attorney General's decision was not seen, so effect is not confirmed.
- The use table in the certified copy does not align by column, and the bylaw text says only that data centers are prohibited in all other zoning districts, so whether Tier II and Tier III facilities are allowed in the Planned Business, Industrial 1 or Industrial 2 districts is unresolved.
- The certified copy has character recognition errors in places.
- The bylaw applies only in the Town of Mansfield.
Unresolved questions
- Whether and when the Attorney General approved Article 23, and so when it took effect.
- Whether Tier II and Tier III data centers are allowed in the Planned Business, Industrial 1 and Industrial 2 districts.
Relationships
Supersession means a later instrument replaces the earlier legal effect. Repeal links identify the repeal instrument and the measure it ends. A later implementation or related letter is not treated as a replacement unless the record says so.
- No related action is recorded.
Sources
Primary source: Mansfield Town Meeting page on mansfieldma.com