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Residents press Eatonville council for public engagement and local rules after AI/data center permit
Summary
Council members and staff discussed the town's AI/data center and agreed to hold public engagement and consider local regulations for future proposals; counsel said existing permits may limit retroactive action.
Council members and residents raised concerns about a recently permitted AI/data center and urged the town to hold public engagement and consider ordinances to protect local utilities, air and water resources.
"Data centers are huge, huge users of resources," attorney Ronnie Shepherd told the council, noting smaller municipalities often lack regulations to address those impacts. Council members asked for an educational community meeting so residents can ask questions about water, air quality and utility rates and to discuss what protections the town can put in place for future projects.
Several council members said that if the facility is already permitted, the town's ability to change conditions retroactively is limited. "It is hard to go back and put an ordinance in place once it's already permitted," a staff member said. Still, multiple members and legal counsel recommended drafting rules for future applications so the town has tools to address resource use, zoning and rate implications.
The council directed staff and counsel to prepare background information and to schedule a community engagement to let residents ask questions and hear technical explanations before the council considers regulatory proposals.
