The Hopkinton Town Council voted on July 8 to ask the town's planning board to draft a zoning amendment that would permanently prohibit data centers anywhere in town, according to the Hopkinton Town Council's published meeting recording.
Data center ban sent to planning board
Vice President Robert Burns sponsored the discussion, telling colleagues the topic had come up before, including during earlier rezoning work near Exit One. A resident had emailed the council pointing to nearby towns, including Smithfield, that have already moved on the issue. Burns said he did not want Hopkinton to be "the last one standing" if a developer proposed a data center locally.
The council reviewed Smithfield's zoning language as a starting point but explicitly rejected copying its approach of a temporary, or "interim," restriction while more study is done. Council members said they want an outright prohibition across all zoning districts, not a placeholder. A resident who raised the issue explained that large data centers can strain electric grids, consume enormous amounts of water for cooling, generate noise from mechanical equipment, and clash with the visual character of a district — concerns drawn from a Smithfield staff report included in the meeting packet.
Local sponsorWorld-class website design at a small business priceCompany 50The town solicitor explained the procedural path: a zoning change must start either with an applicant petitioning for an amendment or with the planning board sending the council a proposal. By referring the matter to the planning board, the council starts that process without committing to specific ordinance language yet. Any eventual ordinance would still require a public hearing before a final vote. The council approved the referral, with direction that the recommendation reflect a permanent ban, by voice vote.
New engineering firm awarded three-year contract
The council also voted to award a three-year on-call professional engineering services contract, running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, to a newly selected engineering firm chosen through a competitive request for qualifications that drew seven bids. The town manager told the council the firm was the top or near-top choice of every member of the review committee, citing its Rhode Island regulatory relationships and past work in Hopkinton.
The switch raises a transition question for several town projects already underway with the outgoing engineering firm, including a bridge replacement and multiple culvert projects, some of which are before state environmental regulators for permitting. The town manager recommended keeping the outgoing firm on a limited, separate agreement to finish those specific projects, to avoid paying a new firm to relearn work already in progress. The council agreed in concept and asked for a written list of the affected projects and a cutoff date before finalizing that arrangement. The main contract award passed by voice vote.
Comprehensive plan update contract awarded
The council voted to award a $113,880 contract to Weston & Sampson to update the town's comprehensive community plan, a document that guides long-term land use and development policy. The firm was the low bidder of two proposals; a council member said the choice reflected the firm's experience and track record with the town, not simply its price.
Ballot question discussion tabled
A council member floated the idea of placing a nonbinding question on the November ballot but withdrew it after the town solicitor said he had not yet confirmed whether the town charter allows a general advisory question, as opposed to bond measures or citizen-initiated referenda on ordinances. The council tabled further discussion until its July 20 meeting and asked members to send suggested topics to the town clerk and solicitor in the meantime.
Public comment
During public comment, a representative of the League of Women Voters asked the council to schedule a candidates' forum at the new community building on September 28, and to consider a policy for when residents can reserve the building for community events, saying it has been largely inaccessible since it opened. A resident presented data compiled from state testing results, saying more than half of Chariho students failed to meet state proficiency benchmarks in each of the past two school years, and that estimated elementary school repair costs in the district rose by roughly $40 million over an eight-year span based on figures from a recently released facilities report. Another resident raised concerns about delays and canceled discussion on a pending land-use application in a rural section of town, and asked whether the town could pause development approvals to allow more time for review; council members and the town solicitor noted a moratorium generally cannot stop applications already filed and cannot be used to block low- and moderate-income housing projects under state law.
The council also held a ceremonial swearing-in for a new Hopkinton Police Department officer who completed field training in April, and recognized several Chariho students for medals earned at the 2026 SkillsUSA Rhode Island competition.
What's next
The planning board is expected to take up the data center zoning referral, with any resulting ordinance subject to a future public hearing before the council votes. The council is set to revisit ballot-question options and the engineering transition details at its July 20 meeting.