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Weld County delays final vote on data‑center zoning after residents raise noise and outreach concerns
Summary
After public comment raising low‑frequency noise and process concerns, the Weld County Board of Commissioners voted to continue final reading of Ordinance 2026‑01 (data centers) to April 6 to allow additional review, staff work sessions and community engagement.
The Weld County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 25 voted to continue final reading of proposed code ordinance 2026‑01 — a package of zoning rules for data centers — to Monday, April 6 to allow further staff analysis and public engagement.
Maxwell of the county planning department presented the ordinance for third reading and said staff recommended no changes at this time. Multiple speakers from the public urged the Board to delay final action and seek additional data and transparency.
"There's not enough data and not enough public input about this decision," said Ken Brown, a Windsor resident, who asked the county to open the process for broader public review and to provide noise information. Dean Brown of Grow Real Estate, who submitted a letter on record, said he supported a continuance to permit careful review. Dr. Diana Mikey, a professor emeritus at the University of Northern Colorado who described herself as a noise specialist, told the Board that noise from data centers can travel for miles and that "trying to fix it after the fact is almost impossible." She offered to help design noise‑impact studies and mitigation requirements.
Commissioners discussed scheduling and outreach options and signaled that additional work‑session time would be useful. Commissioner Buck explicitly moved to continue the final reading and the Board approved the motion unanimously. The chair set the continuance date as Monday, April 6 at 9:00 a.m.
The continuance preserves the record and directs staff to review incoming public comment and technical information, and to coordinate a potential work session with commissioners. County staff said they anticipate returning the ordinance with any recommended technical clarifications and a response to public concerns.
What happens next: the ordinance will return to the Board on April 6 for final consideration; staff indicated they may hold an interim work session to refine noise and siting criteria and to respond to letters and expert input received during the continuance period.
