The proposed Bonner data center is off the table after the property owner withdrew support following public concerns. Now, Missoula County is looking at a temporary moratorium on future data center projects while new regulations are developed
Kendall Hudson NonStop Local Reporter

BONNER, MT — A proposed data center at the former Bonner Mill site will not move forward after the building owner withdrew support for the project.

Missoula County said Mike Heisey, who owns the building where the data center was proposed, removed his signature from Krambu’s special exception application after hearing public concerns and understanding the issues raised.

That ended the Bonner proposal before it reached a public hearing. County planner Jennie Dixon said the application was never complete enough to get that far.

“We work with an applicant when they bring in an application to help them refine it as best they can. And once they're ready, once it's complete and they're ready to submit, we accept it and we schedule it for hearing. But where we are on this project is they never got to a point of actually submitting a complete application,” said Jennie Dixon.

The proposal had drawn opposition online. Residents raised concerns about electricity demand, water use, noise and possible effects on the Bonner community.

In Bonner, people were contacted door to door, but many were not home or did not want to speak on camera. A few residents who spoke off camera said they were pleased with the decision.

Missoula County is now considering interim zoning that would temporarily pause new or expanding data centers outside Missoula city limits while it works on updated regulations.

“We, we learned through this process that our current regulations, which were drafted in 2019 and then adopted permanently in 2021, were geared toward cryptocurrency mining operations. And at that time, the kind of data centers we're talking about. They didn't even exist,” said Jennie Dixon.

Dixon said the temporary pause would apply only to data centers, not other kinds of projects. She said the county wanted more time to review issues including energy, water, air quality, noise and vibration.

Dixon also said the interim zoning would pause data center applications for at least one year. If county commissioners needed more time to create permanent rules, they could extend it for one more year.

She also confirmed there are no active data center applications right now. If commissioners approve the interim zoning, no other data center application or hearing would move ahead during that pause.