Nobles County commissioners to decide fate of data center on ag preservation land

Nobles County commissioners are preparing to make a critical decision regarding the future of data center development on agricultural preservation land. The county's planning commission previously recommended denying a text amendment that would permit data centers as a conditional use in the Agricultural Preservation District, prompting a review by the commissioners. Attorneys from Flaherty and Hood, P.A. have presented the commissioners with three options. The first is to simply uphold the planning commission's recommendation, leaving the existing zoning ordinance unchanged. The second option involves upholding the recommendation but directing staff to develop a more robust alternative ordinance amendment, potentially with stricter regulations and more targeted locations for data centers within the Agricultural Preservation District. The third option allows the board to overrule the planning commission's recommendation and adopt the proposed text amendment as originally drafted. County Administrator Bruce Heitkamp emphasized the importance of transparency in this process, noting that the attorneys' memo was provided to explain these options. The Nobles County commissioners are expected to cast their vote and make a decision at their upcoming meeting on Tuesday, April 21.