Rapid City pushes data center decision to January after hundreds of complaints
Planning Commission pushed the decision back after nearly 1,000 public comments and concerns about noise and water use.
By James Mitchell ·
Rapid City officials are waiting until next year to decide on new rules for data centers.
The delay comes after a surge of public feedback on the proposed ordinance. Community Development Director Vicki Fisher told the Planning Commission on Thursday that staff needs more time to process the input. The commission agreed to move the presentation to Jan. 21, 2027.
The proposal stems from Ordinance 6746, introduced on Sept. 10, 2026. This ordinance amends existing regulations to add safeguards for water, sewer, electric, noise, and vibration issues. If the Planning Commission approves the new rules, they will go to the full city council for a final vote. The current rules, adopted in December 2024, allow data centers in Light and Heavy Industrial Districts with a standard building permit. The new draft would restrict water and power usage and set distance requirements from residential areas.
Public reaction to the proposal has been strongly negative. Fisher noted that an Oct. 14, 2026, open house at City Hall packed two rooms. The event generated nearly 1,000 comments and hundreds of survey responses. Scott Armstrong, speaking to the commission, said the survey results showed a 70% to 80% disapproval rate among attendees. He stated that most of the subsequent comments were against data centers. Armstrong suggested the city should consider a moratorium instead of the current ordinance.
Norma Thompson, another member of the public, expressed concern about property values and quality of life. She argued that the noise and heat from data centers would be difficult to manage regardless of distance. Thompson stated that the lack of data centers is a selling point for the city. She noted that the owners of these facilities do not live in the community.
Planning Commission member Eirik Heikes supported Thompson's view. He stated that the city is growing due to hospitality, healthcare, and higher education. He said he would oppose data centers in the city's future. He described them as not a fit for the community's development goals.
The city council adopted the original data center definition in December 2024. At that time, data centers were identified as a permitted use in specific industrial zones. Over the following two years, city staff researched the impacts of these facilities. They focused on utility demand and environmental effects. The new ordinance aims to address these specific concerns through stricter permitting and usage limits.
The Planning Commission will review the ordinance and survey results on Jan. 21, 2027, at 7 a.m. The agenda and links to the proposed text are available on the city website. The survey data is also posted online for public review. The commission will vote on whether to send the ordinance to the city council.
Fisher explained that the current ordinance has few restrictions on the physical appearance of data centers. She said the city has seen issues in other communities and wants to protect local resources. The goal is to revise the rules to include specific safeguards and restrictions. The new regulations would require special use permits in some instances. The city is waiting for the new meeting date to present these findings to the commission.
