Yongin City Adds 'Data Center' to Architectural Committee Review Subjects

Seven Review Criteria Established Including Noise and Fire

From now on, building a data center in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do will require review by the Architectural Committee.

Yongin-si announced on the 23rd that it will include data center construction or change of use in the types of buildings subject to Architectural Committee review, effective from the 28th, to prevent indiscriminate proliferation of data centers.

Until now, to build a new data center, one could apply for a building permit after receiving review from the City Urban Planning Committee focusing on location and harmony with the surrounding environment. However, going forward, an Architectural Committee review procedure will be added before applying for a building permit in the data center approval process.

The city has also established seven specific data center review criteria. These include ▲Landscape (building height per floor under 10m, etc.) ▲Noise prevention (compliance with cooling tower noise and vibration management standards, etc.) ▲Safety (underground installation of hazardous facilities such as fuel tanks, etc.) ▲Firefighting activities (securing access routes and turning spaces for firefighting in case of fire) ▲Energy infrastructure (installation of solar power generation facilities, etc.) ▲Underground lines (installation at least 10m away from adjacent lot boundaries, etc.).

The city strengthened the data center approval procedures because, as demand for data center construction has increased recently, citizens’ complaints about electromagnetic waves and noise have also grown. In fact, the city recently denied permission for company A’s application to build a data center in the Eonnam-dong area of Giheung-gu. This was because the area is a Type 1 general residential zone mainly consisting of low-rise houses, and the height and other factors were judged not to harmonize with the surrounding environment.

Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin-si, said, "This procedural strengthening is a proactive measure to prevent indiscriminate proliferation of data centers, protect citizens’ residential and educational environments, and prevent fires and safety accidents. I hope the Architectural Committee will insightfully review whether data centers serve the public interest."