Dunn County committee reviews draft housing goals and intergovernmental strategies as residents urge pause on proposed data center

The Dunn County Planning, Resources and Development Committee on Oct. 1 reviewed draft elements of the county comprehensive plan focused on housing and intergovernmental cooperation while residents urged action to slow or block a proposed data center annexation.

Regional planner Susan Badke presented updated housing data and draft plan language, including a housing goal that she read to the committee: “Dunn County will support a balanced, adaptable housing market that meets the needs of residents at all life stages and income levels while supporting responsible growth, protecting productive lands, and preserving rural character.” The presentation summarized countywide housing statistics, needs-assessment findings and draft objectives, policies and grouped strategies intended to guide implementation.

Why it matters: the comprehensive plan informs county policy, coordination with municipalities and implementation strategies that influence where and how new housing and other development occur. Residents and local officials said the committee’s decisions on intergovernmental cooperation and plan implementation could affect whether large nonagricultural projects, including data centers, are allowed to proceed near productive farmland and residential neighborhoods.

Badke told the committee the…