City holds discussion on data centers

STEVENS POINT—During the Oct. 5 Plan Commission meeting, Alderperson Mary Kneebone led a discussion about data centers. City staff clarified that there is no current data center proposal on the table, but rather the conversation was a preliminary discussion to gather the community’s thoughts about data centers. While there is no current data center proposal, Community Development Director Jarod Kivela stated that the city has been contacted previously by companies.

The city’s current zoning code, written in the 1970s, does little to prevent a data center from being able to be built. However, data centers would not be allowed in the city’s residential or commercial districts, but they would be allowed in industrial districts. The city is currently in the process of working to rewrite the zoning code, with the new zoning code being adopted next year. 

Residents spoke for over an hour at the meeting, asking questions to the staff members, raising concerns about noise problems, environmental impacts, and more. 

Commission members spoke about the possibility of a moratorium on data centers, but no formal vote was taken as the topic was up for discussion only. The discussion on Oct. 5, led by Alderperson Kneebone, acted as a preliminary discussion to gather the community’s feedback.