St. Croix County committee to hold public hearing on ordinance changes related to data centers in August
St. Croix County's Community Development Committee is holding a public hearing on August 13 to discuss a proposed one-year moratorium on medium and large-scale data centers and changes to its zoning ordinance. The committee will also define data center categories and consider an applicant checklist before deciding whether to recommend the moratorium to the full St. Croix County Board of Supervisors. This initiative comes amidst resident opposition and challenges faced by local governments in regulating data center development.
The St. Croix County Community Development Committee in Wisconsin is progressing with its plans to implement a one-year moratorium on medium and large-scale data center developments and revise its zoning ordinances. A public hearing is scheduled for August 13, where the committee will solicit public comment before deciding whether to forward the proposed moratorium and ordinance amendments to the full St. Croix County Board of Supervisors for final approval.
During a July 9 meeting, the committee reviewed revisions to Chapter 15 of its code of ordinances, which pertains to zoning. Key discussions included establishing a working definition of data centers and categorizing them into small, medium, and large scales. Committee member Dani Erickson suggested incorporating an applicant checklist. As currently drafted, the proposed amendments include a one-year moratorium specifically targeting medium and large-scale data centers, which are not yet formally integrated into the ordinance's use table but are expected to be as discussions advance. Corporation Counsel Heather Amos noted that the data center definition itself might evolve.
The county's actions are a response to increasing political pushback from residents, driven by environmental and procedural concerns related to the rapid expansion of data centers, often fueled by demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. While a proposed data center in the Village of Hammond, within St. Croix County, initially faced denial but later received conditional approval, the village board is now challenging that decision in court. The county's proposed zoning changes and moratorium would not apply to incorporated municipalities like Hammond, which are amending their own ordinances.
The push for clearer regulations in St. Croix County mirrors efforts in other Wisconsin localities, such as Menomonie and DeForest, which have also sought to manage data center development. The proposed moratorium aims to provide the county with sufficient time to refine its zoning ordinance before evaluating new data center proposals, addressing the challenges local governments face due to a lack of specific local restrictions.