Platte County Meeting Gets Contentious Over Proposed Data Center
A Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting became contentious as residents voiced concerns about a proposed data center complex near Wheatland, Wyoming. The commission unanimously voted to advance proposed changes to land-use regulations that would require a special-use permit for data centers, aiming to increase county oversight. Residents are demanding more information and greater county protection from the potential impacts of the project.
A recent meeting of the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission in Wyoming became highly contentious as dozens of residents packed the room and hallway to voice strong opposition and concerns regarding a proposed 5,344-acre data center and power generation complex. The project, slated for ranchland northeast of Wheatland near the Goshen County line, has sparked significant public pushback over potential impacts.
Commission Chairman Marty Shepard and other board members clarified that the meeting's focus was on updating Platte County's land-use rules to better regulate data centers, not to outright reject them. They aim to incorporate data centers into the county’s regulatory framework, potentially requiring a special-use permit to ensure county oversight and negotiate protections with developers. Residents, like Josh Martinez, pressed the commission for more data and accused them of failing in their due diligence to protect taxpayers.
Despite the heated atmosphere and arguments over public comment procedures, the commission unanimously voted to move forward with the proposed regulatory changes. Commissioner Bill Klein emphasized that while they cannot simply deny data centers, they can dictate the stipulations for their presence. A special meeting to consider a major rezone application by the proposing company, Site Layer 4, LLC, is scheduled for August 26, with a public hearing on the proposed land-use regulations set for September 16.