SHAWANO, WI – Shawano County officials are emphasizing that a recently approved moratorium on new data center development is a proactive planning measure and not a response to any pending proposal.
Following the Shawano County Board’s unanimous vote to adopt a temporary moratorium, Zoning Administrator Kyle Waelchli said the county has not received any inquiries or applications for a data center project.
“The Planning and Development Department has not received any inquiries into permitting for a data center, so there’s nobody’s called us, nobody’s talked to us. There’s nothing out there,” Waelchli said.
The 12-month moratorium applies only to unincorporated towns that fall under Shawano County zoning authority. It does not affect the towns of Almon, Bartelme, Belle Plaine, Hartland, Hutchins, Lessor, Pella, Richmond, or Wescott, which administer their own zoning ordinances.
Waelchli said the one-year pause will give county officials time to study the potential impacts of large-scale data centers and develop appropriate zoning regulations before any future proposals are considered.
County leaders say the goal is to ensure Shawano County has clear policies in place should interest in data center development arise in the future.
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