SHREVEPORT, La. - The Caddo Parish Commission considered a proposal Monday to place a moratorium on future data center projects, but the parish attorney said the commission does not currently have the legal framework to enforce one.
The discussion came as commissioners and residents continue to debate the potential impact of data centers in unincorporated areas of Caddo Parish.
Abby Weddington, an organizer with No Data Centers 318, called on commissioners to stop development.
"We demand a moratorium be placed on the parish immediately and halt all construction on current and future hyperscale data centers,” said Weddington.
Many residents also spoke during public comment.
"I don't want that thing near me. I don't want it destroying my property. I don't want it to destroy my health,” said one resident living nearby the State Line Road project.
Commissioners considered advancing a resolution that would have called for a moratorium. Parish Attorney Donna Frazier said a resolution would not be legally binding because it does not have the force of law under the parish charter.
"A moratorium cannot be enacted via resolution. Per your charter, a resolution does not have the force of law," Frazier said.
Frazier also said an ordinance would not solve the issue because Caddo Parish does not have the necessary zoning ordinances and master plan in the unincorporated areas where the data centers are being proposed.
"If you enact a moratorium on a particular type of land use in an area where you do not have a master plan and zoning ordinances, that is in violation of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974," said Frazier.
Frazier also cautioned that the commission cannot use a moratorium to prevent future commissions from considering development proposals.
"You cannot bind yourself or a future version of the commission," said Frazier.
The commission voted to send the proposed resolution back to committee.
Frazier said a moratorium could potentially be considered in the future if the parish conducts a study and develops a new master plan and zoning regulations. That process could take up to two years.
"You do moratoriums for the purpose of studying something that's not conforming with the plan that you have in place. Every place that has been talked about at this meeting that has a moratorium has zoning ordinances and we don't," said Frazier.
For now, commissioners can still consider data center projects individually when they come before the commission, including voting to reject individual proposals.
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