Cheyenne City Council moves proposed Cox Ranch data center project toward final vote
The Cheyenne City Council advanced the annexation and rezoning of Cox Ranch for a data center project by Skybox Datacenters and ViaWest Group, passing three items on a second reading despite significant resident opposition. Residents voiced concerns about noise, water use, and traffic impacts from the proposed data center campus. The project now moves to a final vote at an upcoming council meeting.
The Cheyenne City Council took a significant step forward on Monday by passing the annexation and rezoning of the 1,198-acre Cox Ranch property on its second reading. This land is intended for a data center campus to be developed by Skybox Datacenters and ViaWest Group.
The council considered three items: one for annexation and two to amend the city's official zoning map to change the land from agricultural/public to business park use. These items had been postponed from an earlier meeting after it was revealed that ViaWest and Skybox had already begun purchasing the land post-annexation.
The nearly two-hour discussion saw considerable opposition from residents of the nearby Rolling Hills area, who raised concerns about potential noise, lighting, water usage, impacts on wildlife, traffic congestion, and the overall rapid pace of data center development in Cheyenne. Rick Kessler, a Rolling Hills resident, criticized the annexation process as unfair to surrounding county property owners who lack representation in city government decisions. Toni McCoy, another resident, cited noise from an existing Microsoft data center a mile away as a reason to oppose more developments.
Developers Tom Glissmeyer of ViaWest and Jack O’Neill of Skybox defended the project, stating they have engaged with the community through multiple meetings and are committed to addressing concerns, including connecting to city water and sewer to avoid groundwater wells. O'Neill also highlighted the large setbacks of the property from residential areas and projected 350-500 full-time jobs. Despite their reassurances, Councilmen Larry Wolfe and Mark Moody voted against the measures, citing a need for more agreements and concerns about agricultural impacts. Councilman Tom Segrave, however, supported the project, interpreting recent election results as public support for economic development. The three items ultimately passed 6-3, with the final vote scheduled for the council’s September 28 meeting.