Woodbury County supervisors push to draft moratorium after public outcry over Salix annexation and proposed data center

Woodbury County supervisors spent the bulk of a regular meeting discussing how the county should respond to reports that 900 acres near Salix were annexed and are being marketed for a large data‑center project.

Dan Priestley, the county zoning coordinator, told the board the county currently reviews data centers in unincorporated areas through conditional‑use permits and recommended a public, multi‑meeting process similar to the county’s recent solar ordinance review. "We have a framework that allows review of these respective items, but we think that looking at it a bit more closer is very merited," Priestley said, urging public engagement and zoning‑commission study.

Residents and nearby landowners filled the meeting room to voice concerns. Janet Yanick, who said her property borders the annexed land, asked the board to "pass a moratorium on data centers in Woodbury County to ensure that another project doesn't appear before the supervisors have enacted strong regulations to protect our county and our environment." Other speakers cited potential water impacts to shallow aquifers, increased heavy truck traffic, light and noise pollution, and possible declines in property values.

Several speakers said they were not notified in advance of the Salix annexation and raised questions about whether the city followed Iowa's consult or notice procedures. The board's staff and legal adviser acknowledged the county received a certified letter but said a statutory consultation period that would have allowed supervisors and township trustees to weigh in did not occur or was not afforded; the transcript indicates ambiguity about whether a consult was required for a 100% voluntary annexation.

Supervisors signaled broad support for two near‑term steps: have county counsel and staff draft moratorium language applying to unincorporated Woodbury County, and direct the zoning commission to begin the public, multi‑meeting ordinance review that Priestley described. The board also asked the county attorney to examine whether the Salix annexation followed applicable consult or notice requirements and requested the moratorium language be placed on the next week's agenda for consideration. No moratorium was enacted at the meeting.

Chair opened the meeting's action items by reminding speakers that the county's authority applies only to unincorporated areas: "We can't dictate what goes on inside city limits of Salix," the chair said, noting the county can act only on areas outside corporate boundaries.

What happens next: staff and counsel will draft moratorium language; the zoning commission will be asked to begin public meetings and research; and the county attorney will review the annexation record for potential procedural issues. The moratorium draft and any proposed ordinance language are expected to return to the board for formal consideration at a subsequent meeting.