City of St. Charles Bans Data Centers
Date Posted: May 26, 2026
Posted In: News,
From Mid Rivers Newsmagazine: After months of community engagement with residents, the St. Charles City Council voted to approve changes to the city code that would ban data center developments in the area. The city code text amendment defined data centers and separated them from currently allowed warehouse developments. As data centers are not specified as city-approved developments, this measure essentially enacted a ban.
Last August, St. Charles City residents organized against a large-scale data center development called Project Cumulus. The application was withdrawn, and shortly after the St. Charles City Council held a special session to pass a one-year moratorium on data center developments. This was designed to give city staff time to research data centers and how the developments affect property values, natural resources, local culture and more.
During the May 19 St. Charles City Council meeting, multiple residents came forward during public comments to once again speak against data centers and support the overall ban on the new tech developments.
Representing Stewards of St. Charles, Scott Stratton-Henderson reminded city officials that he started the petition against Project Cumulus and how quickly residents and local business owners from various backgrounds united against the development and started the broader conversation opposing data centers.