Mansfield MA data center zoning bylaw (Article 23, 2026)
Mansfield, MA — Annual Town Meeting Adopts a Data Center Zoning Bylaw (Article 23) Banning Facilities Over 2 MW Town-Wide and Allowing Smaller Ones Only by Special Permit (May 5, 2026)
Mansfield, MA · Town of Mansfield, Mass. — 2026 Annual Town Meeting Article 23 (data center zoning bylaw)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- Data center developers and operators in Mansfield
- Enforced by
- Mansfield Planning Board / special permit granting authority; Building Commissioner
At its May 5, 2026 Annual Town Meeting, Mansfield voted for a zoning bylaw that bans mid-size and large data centers everywhere in town. Facilities over 2 megawatts are prohibited. Smaller ones, up to 2 megawatts, are allowed only in industrial and planned business districts and only with a special permit, and are banned in residential and business districts. Applicants must study electricity demand, cooling, water use, noise and air quality. Permits expire after five years, and noise is capped at 50 decibels by day and 45 at night near homes, schools and hospitals. Town officials worked with Mansfield's own electric and water departments to set the limits. It was reported as the first dedicated data center bylaw in Massachusetts.
Who is protected: Mansfield residents, and the town's municipal electric and water systems
Legal detail
Town of Mansfield, Mass. (Bristol County) — ANNUAL TOWN MEETING, MAY 5, 2026, ARTICLE 23: zoning amendment creating a DATA CENTER BYLAW with a TIERED SCHEME. TIER I (up to 2 MW): allowed only in industrial and planned business districts, by SPECIAL PERMIT. TIER II (2-10 MW) and TIER III (10+ MW): PROHIBITED TOWN-WIDE. All data centers banned in residential and business districts. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: engineering reports on electrical demand, cooling systems, water consumption, noise and air quality. SPECIAL PERMITS EXPIRE after FIVE YEARS (renewal required). NOISE: 50 dBA daytime / 45 dBA nighttime at sensitive receptors (homes, schools, hospitals). Developed with the town's municipal electric and water departments. Reported (Boston.com, Boston Globe) as the first dedicated data center zoning bylaw in Massachusetts. AG APPROVAL: Massachusetts town bylaws take effect only after Attorney General approval and posting (G.L. c. 40, § 32); no AG decision was located, so status is enacted, not effective. Vote count not reported.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Mansfield, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Enacted | May 5, 2026 |
| Citation | Town of Mansfield, Mass. — 2026 Annual Town Meeting Article 23 (data center zoning bylaw) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located source |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Mansfield becomes first town in Mass. to pass near-total ban on data centers — Boston.com (May 13, 2026); also reported by The Boston Globe (May 13, 2026) |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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