Editor’s note: This is The Town Minute’s first full Southbridge report. Our goal is the same here as it is in Sturbridge: make consequential local decisions easier to understand, with direct links to the original meetings and documents so residents can review the record themselves.
The possibility of a data center at the former American Optical campus brought a large group of residents to the July 27 Southbridge Town Council meeting, where speakers raised concerns about water use, electricity demand, noise, emergency response and public transparency.
No data center application has been filed. Town officials said the use was mentioned only as one possibility for the Southbridge Innovation Center during an earlier discussion with Lundgren Equity Partners.
The town is now considering a temporary zoning moratorium that would pause new data center permitting while Southbridge studies potential infrastructure, environmental, land-use and public-safety impacts.
This report is based on the July 27 meeting recording, the official Town Council agenda and related public notices.
No data center application has been filed
The most important distinction from the July 27 meeting is between a possible future use and an active development proposal.
Town Manager John Jovan said no person or company has submitted a verbal or written request to place a data center in Southbridge. Vice Chair Stephen Kelly later said there is no permit application before the Planning Board and no defined project undergoing environmental or local review.
That means Southbridge does not yet have a proposed operator, facility size, electrical demand, cooling system, water requirement, equipment layout or construction schedule to evaluate.
It also means the numerical claims raised during citizens forum cannot yet be applied to a specific Southbridge project. Data centers vary substantially in size and design. Any future application would need to be evaluated using the project’s actual engineering, utility, environmental, traffic, noise and emergency-response information.
How the data center discussion started
Residents and councilors traced the issue to a May 21 Planning and Development Subcommittee meeting involving Lundgren Equity Partners and the Southbridge Innovation Center—the former American Optical campus.
The official May 21 agenda included a request to pursue up to $5 million through the state’s One Stop for Growth program for infrastructure improvements at the campus. During the broader discussion of possible future uses, a data center was mentioned.
At the July 27 meeting, Jovan described the data center reference as a comment about what the facility could be used for—not a request for town approval.
Council Chair David Adams said he had called for town staff, councilors and planning officials to begin discussing whether a moratorium would give Southbridge time to establish appropriate rules before an application arrives.
Residents asked the town to address water, power, noise and emergency response
The citizens forum lasted about 40 minutes, with most speakers opposing a data center or asking the town to pause permitting while it studies the issue.
Rick Stoddard, a Jacobs Road resident, opened the discussion by raising concerns about noise, water consumption, electricity demand, backup generators, light pollution and the limited number of permanent jobs such a facility might create.
“I want someone to just show me where the value is for the town and for the people of Southbridge,” Stoddard said.
Other speakers returned to several common questions:
How much electricity would a facility require, and could that affect local rates or grid reliability?
Would the cooling system use town water, reclaimed water or a closed-loop design?
What noise would reach nearby homes, schools and other properties?
What lighting and backup-generation systems would operate at the site?
How many construction and permanent jobs would be created?
What equipment, training or staffing would Southbridge’s emergency services need?
What documents would be available online as the proposal moved through review?
Alicia Teague said she had difficulty finding applications, plans and supporting studies for projects on the town website and offered to help improve digital access to public information.
Andrew Gullixson similarly asked for greater transparency after struggling to locate project documents online.
Laurel Wolf urged residents to follow Planning Board, Conservation Commission and subcommittee meetings directly rather than relying on rumors. She also acknowledged that no data center decision or vote had occurred.
Why it matters: Southbridge is discussing the rules before there is a completed application. That creates an opportunity to decide what information, standards and protections would be required if a developer submits a proposal later.
A formal moratorium proposal is now on the table
The moratorium was still an early discussion at the July 27 council meeting. It has since moved into a formal public process.
The Planning and Development Subcommittee’s August 6 agenda proposes amending the zoning bylaws to temporarily pause the permitting, construction and material expansion of data centers for up to 12 months.
The proposal would also allow as many as two additional 180-day extensions, subject to Town Council approval. The stated purpose is to give the town time to study infrastructure, environmental, land-use and public-safety impacts.
The August 6 action is not final adoption of the moratorium. The posted agenda asks the subcommittee to consider recommending that the Town Council refer the proposed amendment to the Planning Board for review, a public hearing and a recommendation under state zoning law.
In practical terms, the process would be:
Planning and Development reviews the proposed language.
The Town Council decides whether to refer it to the Planning Board.
The Planning Board holds a public hearing and issues a recommendation.
The proposed zoning amendment returns to the Town Council for a final decision.
The 276 South Street hearing is a separate restaurant proposal
One resident cited 276 South Street while discussing difficulty finding project documents. Official records show that property is not the data center proposal discussed at the meeting.
The July 8 Planning Board public hearing notice identifies the application as a special permit request from Greg Cumings to allow a restaurant at 276 South Street. CP House LLC is listed as the property owner.
Keeping the two matters separate is important: the possible data center use relates to discussion about the Southbridge Innovation Center, while 276 South Street involved a restaurant application.
The council voted 6-0-2 to direct Jovan and Southbridge’s police and fire chiefs to begin the steps necessary to explore joining the Central Massachusetts Regional Emergency Communications Center.
The action followed a June 9 nonbinding town election question. It does not authorize Jovan to sign a final agreement.
Jovan said the regional district has now been established and Southbridge must determine what joining would require under the district’s adopted bylaws. Any proposed agreement would return to the Town Council for approval.
Councilors Scott Lazo and Michael Montigny abstained. Both said they did not want to disregard the voters but continued to have reservations about regionalizing dispatch.
Fire station reaches roughly 75% completion
Jovan reported that the new fire station was approximately 75% complete as of July 27.
He said the project was essentially on budget—$32 under its construction budget at that moment—and remained within its contingency. The town expects to return the $1 million in free cash that had been allocated to the project as backup funding.
The current target is substantial completion in September, followed by full occupancy in late October or early November.
Councilors who toured the building highlighted the larger apparatus bays, additional showers, decontamination areas and other health-and-safety improvements for firefighters.
Rail trail, Town Hall tower and generator funding move forward
The council approved three additional infrastructure items.
Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail
The council unanimously authorized a proposed change order for additional paving, parking and a crosswalk with a rectangular rapid flashing beacon, contingent on approval from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Town staff said the project was under budget and approximately $140,000 remained in the existing federal grant. The final cost of the added work had not yet been established because EDA approval and contractor pricing were still needed.
The proposed work includes a Route 131 crossing and improvements near Old North Woodstock Road.
Town Hall generator
The council unanimously accepted a FEMA hazard-mitigation grant of up to $133,262.25 for a Town Hall generator.
Jovan said Southbridge had previously allocated $135,000 for the project and expected the town’s matching share to be approximately $42,000.
Town Hall tower
The council unanimously accepted a $25,000 Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund matching grant to investigate the Town Hall tower’s condition and prepare construction documents.
The town’s $25,000 match had already been budgeted through an earlier council vote. The study is intended to define the tower’s repair needs and provide a more reliable construction estimate.
Town manager receives a “meets expectations” evaluation
Adams presented the council’s summary evaluation of Jovan for the period from August 28, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
Jovan received an overall average score of 3.46, categorized as “meets expectations.”
The summary credited him for fiscal stability, infrastructure and capital projects, municipal communications, economic development work and senior initiatives.
The council also identified areas requiring continued attention, including:
More timely and consistent communication with the full Town Council
Regular financial reporting throughout the year
Department-head performance evaluations and employee accountability
Internal communication and workplace morale
Cross-training in key financial positions
Long-range staffing plans
Clearer communication about solid waste and recycling operations
Measurable benchmarks for council goals
Other votes to know
The council also:
Confirmed 14 board, committee and subcommittee appointments. Twelve passed unanimously. Joseph Daou’s appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Ariel Ortiz’s appointment as a General Government citizen member each passed 5-3.
Approved the bilingual warrant for the September 1 state primary, 8-0.
Created a three-member ad hoc committee to review Town Council rules and regulations, 6-2. Councilors Klein, Daniel and Chenier were named to the committee.
Approved a temporary contract with MuniFin Inc. for treasurer/collector services through January 31, 2027, 8-0.
Accepted a $4,950 Emergency Management Performance Grant, 8-0.
What happens next
Residents may want to watch for:
Planning and Development’s review of the proposed data center moratorium
A Town Council vote on whether to refer the zoning amendment to the Planning Board
A future Planning Board public hearing on the moratorium
Any formal data center application, site plan or utility proposal
The terms and costs of a possible regional dispatch agreement
EDA approval and final pricing for the rail trail additions
Substantial completion of the new fire station in September
Engineering findings and cost estimates for the Town Hall tower
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The Town Minute is an independent publication not affiliated with the Town of Southbridge, Lundgren Equity Partners, the Southbridge Innovation Center or any municipal office. While we strive for accuracy, errors or omissions may occur. For official and complete records, consult the town’s approved minutes, agendas, project filings and original meeting recordings.
