Johnson City approves data center zoning on second of three votes

Johnson City commissioners approved the second of three votes on a zoning ordinance Thursday, which would permit data centers, including cryptocurrency mines, in the city’s heavy industrial zone, known as I-2. City officials say that cryptocurrency mines are already technically allowed under existing regulations and the proposed amendment aims to confine these operations to the I-2 zone and enforce stricter guidelines, such as requiring enclosed buildings, buffer zones near homes, and sound limits. Residents who gathered in protest at the meeting and voiced numerous concerns about these types of operations including noise, energy consumption, and the potential impact on nearby neighborhoods.