Platte County to draft data-center rules; public hearing set for Sept. 16 at Agriplex

Platte County planning staff told the Planning & Zoning Commission they had prepared a draft amendment to incorporate "data centers" into commercial and industrial land-use classifications and proposed a public hearing on Sept. 16, 2026 at the Agriplex.

Planner materials were described as a preliminary "skeleton" to define a data center and to permit the county to require a special-use permit so developers could be reviewed and conditions negotiated. The planner said public notice would be published in the newspaper and the draft would be posted online for public review.

Members of the public pushed for more detail, workshops and evidence, expressing concerns over water use during drought, tax treatment, temporary vs. permanent jobs, and transparency about developer negotiations. One commissioner characterized the expected county tax revenue from a data-center project as roughly $20,000,000 per year but that figure was presented in discussion and not independently verified during the meeting; the commission emphasized that a special-use permit could require upfront developer-funded impact mitigation if approved.

After public comment, the commission voted to move the draft forward, schedule the Sept. 16 public hearing at the Agriplex and solicit public input before any rezoning or application approvals. Staff said the rules, once posted, would be available for edits and that additional public engagement such as workshops could be arranged ahead of rezoning votes.