Cheyenne council moves proposed Cox Ranch data center project toward final vote

The Cheyenne City Council took a significant step on Monday towards approving the annexation and rezoning of approximately 1,198 acres of Cox Ranch land for a new data center campus. The proposed project, a collaboration between Skybox Datacenters and ViaWest Group, passed its second reading with a 6-3 vote, despite strong opposition from residents.

During a nearly two-hour discussion, residents from the nearby Rolling Hills area voiced concerns about the potential impacts of the data center, including noise, light pollution, water consumption, effects on wildlife, increased traffic, and the speed of development. Rick Kessler, a Rolling Hills resident, criticized the annexation process as unfair to county landowners who lack voting representation in city government. Toni McCoy, another resident, shared experiences with noise from an existing Microsoft data center, emphasizing the desire for no further data center expansion.

Developers Tom Glissmeyer of ViaWest and Jack O’Neill of Skybox defended the project, highlighting efforts to address community concerns through multiple meetings and commitments to connect to city water and sewer systems rather than using groundwater wells. O'Neill also stated the company intends to exceed setback requirements. However, some council members, including Larry Wolfe and Mark Moody, voted against the measures, citing a need for more agreements with developers and concerns about the impact on agriculture in Laramie County. Councilman Tom Segrave, supporting the project, suggested that recent election results indicated public support for economic development in the community. The final vote on the annexation and zoning changes is set for the council's September 28 meeting.