Hood River issues temporary pause on data center construction

The Hood River City Council, including Mayor Paul Blackburn and councilors Anna Cavaleri, Ben Mitchell, Gladys Rivera, Doug Stepina, Grant Polson, and Amanda Goeke, addressed several key agenda items at its April 13 meeting. Among the significant decisions was the unanimous approval of a temporary moratorium on data center construction, a measure championed by Councilor Doug Stepina. Stepina voiced concerns regarding the potential environmental impacts of data centers and questioned the often-overstated employment opportunities they provide. He highlighted that the City of Hood River currently lacks specific policies or development code provisions tailored to data centers. The moratorium, which will remain in effect until December 31, aims to provide city staff with sufficient time to update the development code, evaluate potential impacts, and establish clear zoning and development standards for future data center proposals. The council directed staff to draft a resolution to implement this temporary pause.