DONALDSONVILLE — The Ascension Parish Council has delayed its planned vote on proposed data center regulations, following strong public concern from residents.

Earlier this month, the Ascension Parish Planning and Zoning Commission proposed possible regulations for data centers, which included creating a half-mile-away barrier between a center and the property lines of homes, schools, hospitals and churches.

Several people who live in the parish said they showed up to Thursday night's parish council meeting to ensure those proposed plans remain the same and voice concerns about the noise pollution that could come from a data center.

"I don't want the property value where we live, our home that we own, to go down if this gets so loud we don't want to live here and we can't sell it," Ascension Parish resident JudithKaren Eymard said.

Parish officials say there is currently no data center project waiting for regulations to be approved or otherwise.

However, Councilmember Joel Robert told WBRZ that the parish has been contacted by data center operators about building on a site at the intersection of Highway 22 and 44 in the Sorrento area, near the Pelican Point and Ascension Trace Subdivisions.

"Amongst thousands of homes, the meat in the ordinance that the planning and zoning commission did, it passed, protected those residents and residents in those types of situations that are in an area that is populated with many people," Robert said.

Robert says he does not want to see a data center built on that piece of land or in any of the populated areas.

"Ascension Parish is large. We've got a lot of people. But we've also got a lot of unused land. You might not realize it, but we do. I mean, go out there, go a half mile or a mile away from people; let's protect our energy infrastructure. Let's protect our water infrastructure," Robert said.

The proposed regulations are expected to come up for a vote at their Oct. 15 council meeting.