RDKB to hold public hearing on data warehouse restrictions in Electoral Area A
The Fruitvale Memorial Centre at 1968 Main Street, where the RDKB will hold a public hearing on proposed data warehouse zoning restrictions on Aug. 13.
Residents will have an opportunity this month to comment on a proposed zoning amendment that would formally prohibit data warehouses throughout Electoral Area A unless a proponent first obtains a zoning change.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary will hold a public hearing for Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1942 on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Fruitvale Memorial Centre, located at 1968 Main Street.
The hearing concerns an RDKB-initiated amendment applying across Electoral Area A rather than a rezoning application for a specific property.
The proposed bylaw would amend Electoral Area A Zoning Bylaw No. 1460 by defining a data warehouse as “a building that is used for electronic storage and processing of information.”
It would also add a provision stating that no parcel may be used for a data warehouse.
Under the amendment, anyone seeking to establish a data warehouse in Electoral Area A would have to apply for a zoning amendment before the use could be permitted. The proposal would then be considered through a separate rezoning and public review process.
The RDKB Board of Directors gave Bylaw No. 1942 first and second readings on July 22 and directed staff to arrange the public hearing.
Electoral Area A includes the rural areas bordered by the Columbia River to the west, the Canada-U.S. border to the south and Champion Lakes Provincial Park to the north, and extends east of the Village of Fruitvale. It does not include properties within Fruitvale, Montrose or the City of Trail.
Rules would include AI and cryptocurrency facilities
Although the proposed bylaw uses the term “data warehouse,” the RDKB says the definition includes artificial intelligence data centres, cryptocurrency mining operations and similar facilities that electronically store or process information.
The existing Electoral Area A zoning bylaw does not specifically list AI data centres, data warehouses or similar facilities as permitted uses. The RDKB therefore already interprets them as prohibited.
Bylaw No. 1942 would make that prohibition explicit and establish a clear requirement for future proponents to apply for rezoning.
The amendment is part of a broader RDKB review of how large data-processing facilities should be addressed in regional planning documents.
In November 2025, the RDKB’s Electoral Area Services Committee directed planning staff to prepare amendments to regional Official Community Plans and zoning bylaws. The committee called for policies intended to protect communities against excessive electricity and water consumption associated with data warehousing.
The Board of Directors raised the issue again on May 27, 2026, when it agreed to submit a resolution to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
The resolution asks the province and the BC Utilities Commission to introduce regulations governing the design and operation of new and existing data centres, with the goal of controlling energy and water consumption and ensuring communities are consulted.
The RDKB does not have authority over provincial water licences or the regional electricity supply. Water licences are administered by the provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. FortisBC distributes electricity in the region and is regulated by the BC Utilities Commission.
The zoning amendment would use the regional district’s land-use authority to require a rezoning and public review process before a data warehouse could be permitted in Electoral Area A.
Residents can speak or submit written comments
Electoral Area A Director Ali Grieve has been delegated by the Board of Directors to preside over the Aug. 13 hearing. RDKB Planning and Development staff will also attend.
People attending the hearing will be given an opportunity to speak about the proposed amendment. Verbal and written comments submitted as part of the hearing will become part of the public record.
Written submissions will be accepted until noon on Aug. 13. Comments may be emailed to plandept@rdkb.com or mailed or hand-delivered to the RDKB’s Trail office at 202-843 Rossland Avenue.
The RDKB cannot accept additional submissions after the public hearing has closed.
Copies of Bylaw No. 1942, the supporting staff report, the Board’s delegation resolution and related documents can be reviewed through the RDKB website or at its Trail office.
The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, excluding statutory holidays.
Questions can be directed to the RDKB Planning and Development Department at 250-368-9148 or plandept@rdkb.com.
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