LIVE: West Richland residents ask for moratorium on data centers
West Richland residents are attending a packed City Council meeting to request a six-month moratorium on new data center applications. The proposed pause follows Trammell Crow’s purchase of about 1,000 acres and interest in developing a data center campus, with residents divided over the project and officials concerned about potential costs.
Residents filled West Richland City Hall for a City Council meeting focused on the possibility of a data center campus in the city. Organizers planned to ask for a six-month moratorium on data center applications, giving the city time to consult residents and consider long-term policies.
The debate follows Trammell Crow’s purchase of roughly 1,000 acres in West Richland and its reported interest in developing a data center campus. More than 100 residents attended an earlier council meeting, with some supporting data center development and others opposing it. City Council members and the city manager raised concerns that a future moratorium could increase costs if Trammell Crow submits project plans, while residents who submitted moratorium paperwork disputed that concern.