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Plan commission discusses data‑center guidance, zoning and moratorium options
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a Dane County advisory effort to develop municipal guidance for data centers — citing utility burdens, cooling, generators and decommissioning — and discussed zoning choices and a possible temporary moratorium while guidelines are prepared.
Commissioners heard an update on data-center work from the Dane County advisory committee and discussed whether Cottage Grove should prepare local guidance or a temporary moratorium while the village and county develop standards.
A commissioner who serves on the county committee described plans to create a handbook for municipalities to evaluate proposals and said the work will likely take more than a year. The briefing stressed that hyperscale data centers are ‘‘very large scale, high utility burden’’ developments and raise questions about cooling systems, water versus electric usage, generator noise and long-term decommissioning of facilities.
Participants noted zoning options: supply‑side industrial zoning or reviewing data centers under a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that permits detailed negotiation of conditions. Staff said large data centers would not fit current zoning without a PUD or industrial rezoning and that the Village could consider legal review and a moratorium as it crafts local guidance. Commissioners asked about regulating cooling and generators and the limits of municipal authority; staff said some constraints may be state or county responsibilities.
No formal action was taken; next steps include Village Board consideration, possible legal analysis, and incorporating guidance into the comprehensive‑plan conversation.
