By james art 
The Renault Municipal Council voted 5-2 last week to maintain the decision of the Planning Commission to add the first Renault Data Center, despite the appeal made by the Sierra Club Toiyabe environmental group to block this development.
The Data Web Center is a planned industrial building with an area of 82,000 square meters, adjacent to Amazon warehouse in northern valleys, outside North Virginia and Stead Boulevard.
The Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for the development of the Data Center in December 2024. Sierra Club Toiyabe appeals the Council, claiming that it is not environmentally friendly and the city has set new guidance on data centers without Looking for a public audience entry first.
“People who live near this data center have never had the opportunity to comment on … The resolution of data centers,” said Sierra Club Toiyabe Director Olivia Tanager.
The associated planning development services Jeff Foster told the Planning Commission in December that the zoning guidelines were changed in January 2024 by “administrative interpretation” – authorized by the Renault Municipal Code – to add the definition of data centers.
Planning manager Mike Riley said the administrator’s interpretation can be used to determine something if it is no longer indicated in the Renault code. Riley said the city was receiving “multiple calls” regarding data centers, so they have studied other jurisdictions and have interpreted where to define data centers in the Code.
The city has placed the data centers in accordance with the requirements for a “warehouse” in the code, with differences such as reduced parking requirements as they were similar. The requirements for the data centers were formally adopted and separately defined in the Code of Division 18 when the Council approved the adoption of the Code earlier this month.
California -based Ellis Partners also claims that with the plan of their project, they comply with all requirements for the resistance of the city plan for a new development.
However, council member Megan Ebert votes “No” because he believes that they can come up with “something better” when it comes to an environmental resistance plan.
Board member Naomi Dueer also voted no, as she said the entrepreneur should do more work to reduce environmental impact at their data center, especially since Renault was attached to the fastest warming town in the country.
“While all other communities in America are thinking of data centers, we must be even more thoughtful,” Dueer said. “I think this is a time we have to take a position.”
Jaedyn Young covers the local government for Reno Gazette-Journal. Its salaries are 100% funded by donations and grants; If you want to see more stories like this, please consider donating in Rgj.com/donateS Send your ideas and reviews to Jeedyn to [email protected].