Hayden council imposes emergency moratorium on data centers after public concern

Mayor Banks opened discussion on proposed land-use code regulations for data centers and prefaced the item by stressing there is no current data-center project proposed for Hayden. Multiple residents raised objections, citing environmental impacts, water consumption, noise, and public-health questions; several urged either a moratorium or an outright ban. After discussion, the council voted to implement an emergency moratorium on data-center development so staff can study the regulatory framework and return with a recommendation; the exact duration of the moratorium was left to be determined at the next meeting.