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De Pere staff to draft 12‑month moratorium on hyperscale data centers while comprehensive plan work continues
Summary
After background showing limited available land and zoning constraints, the commission directed staff to draft a temporary moratorium tied to finishing the comprehensive plan and to research regional impacts; a Sustainability Commission member urged preserving state‑level options.
The De Pere Plan Commission directed staff on June 22 to draft a municipal moratorium ordinance of no more than 12 months on hyperscale data centers while the city completes a comprehensive plan amendment and related zoning work.
Dan, a planning staff member who presented the background, framed the moratorium as a tool to allow careful study: "A moratorium must be tied to a legitimate government purpose," he said, adding it must be temporary, nondiscriminatory and consistent with state law. Staff told the commission De Pere has had no contact with a hyperscale data‑center developer and does not now have the large parcels or industrial zoning typical for hyperscale campuses.
Commissioners discussed whether this matter is best handled at the state level; the chair and several members said they prefer a coordinated state approach but agreed that a temporary local moratorium could be an appropriate, narrowly tailored pause while the city's comprehensive plan work finishes. "None of us are ever fans of doing piecemeal legislation at municipal levels," the chair said, urging outreach to state officials; Dan said staff will use the moratorium period to research both hyperscale and smaller cloud data‑center impacts.
Rachel Leonard (953 Lawton Place), who identified herself as a member of the Sustainability Commission, spoke during public comment and urged that any local action not foreclose options tied to potential state‑level policy, including proposals discussed to require clean‑energy credits for large data centers. "I agree that the state level would be the most appropriate place to address some of these issues," she said, but added a local moratorium could preserve time to study local impacts.
The commission did not adopt an ordinance at the June 22 meeting; it voted to have staff return a proposed moratorium ordinance and supporting findings (including legal rationale required under state statute) for Plan Commission review and for the usual public‑notice and hearing steps if the council elects to adopt it.
Next steps
Staff will draft ordinance language and a findings memo to support any moratorium, analyze land‑use scenarios for hyperscale and large cloud facilities, and return to the Plan Commission in July with a proposed ordinance for possible referral to council and a 30‑day public‑hearing period. The staff memo emphasized the moratorium is intended as a temporary, narrowly drawn tool rather than a permanent restriction.
