Plan Commission backs 12‑month moratorium on hyperscale data centers while zoning code is rewritten

The Ashwaubenon Plan Commission on June 2 voted to recommend that the Village Board adopt ordinance 06‑01‑26, establishing a 12‑month moratorium on applications for hyperscale data centers while the village completes a zoning code rewrite and studies appropriate regulations.

President Mary Kardoskee opened the discussion by saying residents had raised concerns about data centers and that the moratorium is intended to be a transparent, time‑limited pause so the zoning code can be rewritten without data‑center proposals dominating public meetings. Aaron Schuette, community development director, explained the draft ordinance provides definitions distinguishing existing small and medium enterprise data processing sites from hyperscale data centers. Schuette summarized the thresholds in the draft: a hyperscale data center is “any combination of floor area exceeding 100,000 square feet or a planned installed electrical capacity of 20 megawatts or greater,” and the ordinance would prohibit application intake for such a use for 12 months.

Schuette emphasized the moratorium is not a full 'development moratorium' under Wis. Stat. 66.1002 and said rezoning or land‑division petitions could still be filed; the moratorium would bar filing site plan applications, building permits or other permits for the defined use during the 12‑month period. He listed community concerns motivating the proposal, including high electrical demand and coordination with utility infrastructure, water use, water and air quality, fire protection and emergency response, construction traffic impacts, noise and visual compatibility with surrounding land uses.

Commissioners expressed support for the pause to allow staff to research the issue and draft regulatory language. Corrie Campbell said the moratorium “should calm down [residents’] concerns” and give staff time to “muscle this out.” A motion and second to recommend Village Board adoption passed by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript. The Plan Commission’s recommendation sends the ordinance to the Village Board for final action.