Polk County Board approves data center one-year moratorium
The Polk County Board of Supervisors approved a one-year moratorium on data center development by a 14-1 vote, following a public hearing where numerous residents expressed concerns. The moratorium aims to allow the county and towns to review and design new ordinances to regulate potential data center developments. Supervisor Adam Jarchow was the sole dissenting vote, arguing against halting economic development and suggesting that concerns could be addressed through conditional use permits and development agreements.
The Polk County Board of Supervisors has enacted a one-year moratorium on data center development within the county, passing a resolution with a 14-1 vote. The decision came after a public hearing where a large number of residents spoke out against data centers and in favor of the moratorium, citing concerns over water usage, safety, land use, and overall economic impacts.
Supervisor Adam Jarchow cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing that the moratorium sends a negative signal about economic development. He stated that much of the county's zoning already prohibits data centers and that legitimate concerns could be managed through conditional use permits and development agreements. Jarchow predicted that the board would eventually amend zoning ordinances to permit data centers as a conditional use, making the moratorium a temporary delay.
Conversely, Supervisor Fran Duncanson, a member of the Polk County Economic Development Corporation and the Amery Economic Development Corporation, described Jarchow's view as a "gross misrepresentation." Duncanson highlighted Polk County's attractiveness to data centers due to abundant water and sales tax exemptions, arguing that the moratorium encourages responsible development and deters developers seeking to bypass regulation. Supervisor Kim O’Connell also offered amendments to ensure the moratorium's clear application across all relevant zoning districts and land areas within the county.