Weston’s draft long-range plan would restrict hyperscale data centers; public workshop Thursday

Weston residents can weigh in Thursday on draft goals for the village’s next comprehensive plan, including a proposal to restrict hyperscale data centers.

The “Shaping Weston’s Tomorrow” workshop runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in the board room of the Weston Municipal Center, 4747 Camp Phillips Road. The session is open to the public.

“It’ll only be as good as the people that are here,” a village staff member told the Plan Commission on Monday.

The draft economic development initiatives propose supporting industrial growth while restricting hyperscale data center projects, according to a Nov. 4 report from Planning and Development Director Jennifer Higgins. Staff has begun researching zoning rules for large data centers, and the topic came up at a meeting of the steering committee guiding the plan update.

Marathon County is weighing a countywide data center ordinance, and Weston staff completed a county survey on data center planning last week, the report says. Staff also flagged the need to coordinate with the Town of Weston in the shared extraterritorial zoning area. No formal policy recommendation has been made, and any future ordinance would go through the Plan Commission and Village Board.

At a state planning conference in October, Higgins attended a session recommending that communities define data centers as a land use and regulate their effects through measurable standards, including noise, lighting, heat, stormwater, landscaping and demand on utilities. Those lessons will inform the village’s ongoing rewrite of the zoning code, her report says.

Thursday’s workshop will open with a short presentation from consultant MDRoffers Consulting, similar to one the steering committee heard earlier. Residents will then split into small groups by topic, such as transportation and land use, to discuss draft goals and objectives and report back to the full room. Staff hopes to record the session and is considering an online option for people who cannot attend.

The draft goals draw on community surveys and steering committee work. An initial 2026 community survey drew 681 responses, and a separate questionnaire for young adults closed Sept. 18. Steering committee members showed strong support for an alternative draft vision statement, according to the report.

Plan commissioners are not required to attend. Staff said they want the room filled with residents, since commissioners have already had their say through the steering committee.

Input from Thursday will be compiled, and a joint committee will review a draft of the plan’s Vision and Directions volume this winter.