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Sheboygan data center moratorium considered
Data center proposals have popped up across Wisconsin. Now, Sheboygan is considering a data center moratorium.
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - Data center proposals have popped up across Wisconsin. Now, one city is considering a data center moratorium.
Moratorium on data centers?
What we know:
Sheboygan leaders are considering pausing new permits and approvals for large data centers. But it is still a while away from becoming city ordinance.
The plan would put a one-year moratorium on permits and zoning for data centers over 10,000 square feet. The proposal does not stop land sales.
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The proposal would apply to data centers that are its "principal and primary use." It would not apply to data centers serving another principal use. It would also exempt data centers already existing.
Dig deeper:
The text right now says the following:
"The purpose of this moratorium is to provide the city with adequate time to create reasonable regulations and to respond by regulation amendments reflecting anticipated changes to state law for the development of data centers. The moratorium is necessary to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the city and is made pursuant to the authority granted by Wis. Stat. § 62.23(7)(am) and other applicable laws."
On Monday night, May 4, the Sheboygan Common Council voted 7 to 3 to send the proposal to the City Plan Commission. That commission next meets on May 12. The proposal would then head back to the Common Council, which has the final say.
Meeting notes
What they're saying:
Here is what people said at Monday's meeting:
"This is a good first step, but it has loopholes. A company should not be able to avoid the moratorium by splitting a project into smaller pieces, using more than one parcel, or calling the data center something else, like a tech facility or cloud facility," said Lisa Salgado, who lives in Sheboygan.
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"For the last number of months, we’ve always heard one side of this issue. ‘This is all bad, bad, bad. We need a moratorium.’ This council and this body has never had a conversation on the other side," said Joseph Heidemann, Sheboygan alderman.
Is there reason for worry?
What's next:
There are no public plans for a data center in Sheboygan. However, opponents have reasons they say they are worried. One is the city's draft comprehensive plan, which suggests large growth in industrial manufacturing.
Amazon is also planning a regional delivery hub in Sheboygan – not a data center. But at least there is a relationship between the company and the city.
At the state level, the Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill to place new restrictions on data centers. That bill is dead, as the Senate never passed it.
The issue of data centers is now popping up on the campaign trail as Wisconsin picks its next governor.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Sheboygan Common Council and key players in the data center issue.