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Data Centres

Q: Does the City regulate the building of data centres?

Yes. The Cityâs Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw apply to all development in the City of Burlington, with the exception of the rural area regulated by the Niagara Escarpment Commission.Data centres are permitted in the Official Plan in the Cityâs employment areas as well as in the larger commercial areas. A data centre is defined in the Cityâs Zoning Bylaw as being an âInformation and Data Processingâ use or an âOfficeâ use. An Information and Data Processing use is permitted in the Cityâs employment zones.All new employment area development, including expansions to existing buildings, are required to go through the Site Plan Control process. Site plan does not deal with the use of the property but rather focuses on how the property is developed. The Planning Act requires that Site Plan approval be delegated to City staff, and because the use is permitted by the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw, there are no requirements in the Planning Act to notify adjacent property owners when a site plan application is submitted to the City.The site plan process deals with ensuring the proposed building complies with the setback, height and size regulations in the Zoning By-law as well as parking and landscaping. Staff also review the grading, driveway location and servicing such as water, wastewater and stormwater, as part of the site plan review process.City staff also consult with Halton Region, Conservation Halton and Burlington Hydro as part of the site plan review. Any comments, concerns or conditions of approval from these agencies are included in the conditions of site plan approval.A building permit is required for any new construction or alterations to an existing building. A building permit must comply with the Zoning Bylaw. A building permit must be issued once the applicant demonstrates that all requirements of the Ontario Building Code have been met.

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The City of Burlington has received an application for a new data centre in an employment area in the City.

The applicant is proposing building a data centre on the former Mother Tucker’s/Tucker’s Marketplace site at 3110 South Service Rd.

A data centre is a specialized facility that houses computer servers and supporting equipment used to store, process and manage digital information for businesses, governments and online services.

There are many different kinds and sizes of data centres. Some are cooled with water, and some with air. Some are very large and some can be quite small. Some may even be located within a company that requires its own data centre to support its business.

Whether, and where data centres are located depends on what an area is zoned for, the servicing capabilities of the municipality and other applicable agencies, provincial electricity grid considerations, and local bylaws.

A lot goes into the review of a proposal for a new data centre, and decisions are made carefully and in keeping with the Ontario Planning Act, applicable planning policies, technical requirements and municipal standards. The City would assess how the land use and building(s) will function on the site, where things should be located, how people and vehicles will move through the site, servicing capabilities of the municipality and other applicable agencies, how it will look and feel from outside the property, as well as accessibility and safety considerations.

Data Centres Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does the City regulate the building of data centres?

Yes. The City’s Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw apply to all development in the City of Burlington, with the exception of the rural area regulated by the Niagara Escarpment Commission.

Data centres are permitted in the Official Plan in the City’s employment areas as well as in the larger commercial areas. A data centre is defined in the City’s Zoning Bylaw as being an “Information and Data Processing” use or an “Office” use. An Information and Data Processing use is permitted in the City’s employment zones.

All new employment area development, including expansions to existing buildings, are required to go through the Site Plan Control process. Site plan does not deal with the use of the property but rather focuses on how the property is developed. The Planning Act requires that Site Plan approval be delegated to City staff, and because the use is permitted by the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw, there are no requirements in the Planning Act to notify adjacent property owners when a site plan application is submitted to the City.

The site plan process deals with ensuring the proposed building complies with the setback, height and size regulations in the Zoning By-law as well as parking and landscaping. Staff also review the grading, driveway location and servicing such as water, wastewater and stormwater, as part of the site plan review process.

City staff also consult with Halton Region, Conservation Halton and Burlington Hydro as part of the site plan review. Any comments, concerns or conditions of approval from these agencies are included in the conditions of site plan approval.

A building permit is required for any new construction or alterations to an existing building. A building permit must comply with the Zoning Bylaw. A building permit must be issued once the applicant demonstrates that all requirements of the Ontario Building Code have been met.

Does Halton Region allow the building of data centres?

Yes, Halton Region permits data centres. However, approvals depend on specific zoning, servicing capabilities of the municipality and other applicable agencies, provincial electricity grid evaluations.

Halton Region Bylaws 2-03, 71-19 and 184-95, state that municipal water may not be used as “cooling water”. That means that any data centres built in Burlington would need to be air-cooled.

Has the City been actively providing input to the province on data centres?

Yes. The City has provided comments to the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) on ERO 025-1001 – Data Centre Electricity Requirements, and ERO 019-9300 – Electricity Infrastructure / Cost Sharing (2024).

With respect to ERO 025-1001 – Data Centre Electricity Requirements, the City indicated:

it supports accommodating growth but highlighted some constraints in local electricity capacity.
it recommended that all data centres (regardless of size) be evaluated in the context of available capacity.
the need to assess land-use compatibility, employment yield (how many jobs would be created), and community benefit.
a coordinated provincial–municipal approach to allocating capacity.

With respect to ERO 019-9300 – Electricity Infrastructure / Cost Sharing (2024), the City identified limited feeder capacity as a constraint to development, noted challenges for “first-mover” projects bearing infrastructure costs and supports provincial action to enable faster infrastructure upgrades and implement equitable cost-sharing models.

Are any data centres being proposed right now for the City of Burlington?

Yes. The City has received an application for site plan approval for a proposed data centre on the former Mother Tucker’s/Tucker’s Marketplace site at 3110 South Service Rd.

Site plan approval is a step in the planning process that is used when a use is already permitted in the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw. Site plan approval allows the City to review location and servicing details of the proposed building on the site, as well as proposed parking and landscaping.

Has the application for the data centre on the old Mother Tucker’s/Tucker’s Marketplace site been approved?

No. The City has received an application for site plan approval, but no decisions have been made. The proposal will undergo a comprehensive technical review before any decisions are considered. And for clarity, the Planning Act requires that approval of site plans be delegated specifically to City staff, not Council.

Is a data centre permitted on the former Mother Tucker’s/Tucker’s Marketplace property?

Yes. A data centre is a permitted use for the property under the current Official Plan designation and applicable Zoning Bylaw.

What is the City's role in the application for the old Mother Tucker’s/Tucker’s Marketplace site?

The City's role is to review the application against applicable planning policies, technical requirements and municipal standards. Staff will assess the proposal and supporting technical reviews before making any decisions.

Who else reviews the application for the former Mother Tucker’s/Tucker’s Marketplace site besides the City?

Depending on the proposal, external agencies such as Burlington Hydro, Halton Region, Conservation Halton and provincial agencies may review aspects of the application that fall within their respective areas of responsibility.

Will the public have an opportunity to provide feedback on this proposal?

The proposal that has been submitted to the City is a site plan application. The Ontario Planning Act treats site plan applications differently than it treats applications for Official Plan Amendments or Zoning Bylaw amendments.

The Planning Act says that applications for Official Plan Amendments or Zoning Bylaw amendments require a public meeting for Council to consider public comments in making its decision. In the case of site planning applications, a public meeting is not required under the Planning Act and municipal planning staff may make the decision.

Since the City’s Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw already permit data centres, and this application is only for site plan approval, there is no requirement to hold a meeting to gather public input. With that said, the City always appreciates understanding community needs and concerns, generally, when it comes to our overall built environment.

How much electricity will the data centre require?

The applicant has indicated the facility will require approximately 17 megawatts (MW) of electricity and has been working with Burlington Hydro regarding servicing requirements.

Will the proposal affect Burlington's electricity supply?

The City's role is to review the planning application. Electricity servicing and system capacity are reviewed by the appropriate utility providers and agencies responsible for electrical infrastructure.

How big would this data centre be?

The proposal is for a two-storey building on the site, with underground and surface parking onsite.

Why isn't the City providing more information right now about this proposal?

The application is in the early stages of review and more information will be shared at the appropriate time, if available.

Does the City consider the building of data centres through its broader planning efforts, City strategies, work with the province, etc.?

Yes. For example, the City provided comments to the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) related to data centre electricity requirements and electricity infrastructure and cost-sharing. The City is also reviewing the Official Plan and as part of this review staff will be engaging with the public on options for how to implement provincial policies on employment areas.

Burlington is also developing a new economic development strategy that will identify opportunities going forward, including how the City responds to technological changes that will affect future employment opportunities and economic growth.

What happens next?

City staff and external agencies will complete a detailed planning and technical review of the application. More information will be shared at the appropriate time, if available.