Moffat County Commissioners Weigh Data Center Moratorium Amid Transparency Claims

Steamboat Springs —Moffat County commissioners are weighing a pause on data center development, aiming to buy time for regulation and public input while addressing accusations that officials kept key details about potential projects under wraps.

The push for a moratorium came during a Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, where the board sought to clarify what they knew about outside interest in the Trapper Mine area before the Aug. 5 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. That earlier session, packed with residents, had been dominated by questions over why the county was reviewing data center regulations and whether companies had already approached local leadership.

Commissioner Tony Bohrer said he would back a pause of two to five years.

“Put a moratorium on it until we have all the facts and details and all those things, and we have community buy-in,” Bohrer said.

He said the break would allow the county to “get our ducks in a row” before committing to permanent rules. Commissioner Donald Broom agreed a moratorium could make residents feel more comfortable while the board continues its study. Chair Melody Villard nodded as they spoke, though no formal vote was taken.

The debate over transparency hinges on what happened before the Aug. 5 meeting. Villard defended the county’s handling of the issue, saying she reviewed the recording of that session and did not believe officials had claimed there had been no contact with interested parties.

That defense came after the county confirmed Villard had met with representatives of Pure-Green and Toto Labs prior to the Planning and Zoning session. Natural Resources Director Jeff Comstock was also present at those meetings, while Planning and Zoning Director Candace Miller held separate conversations with company representatives.

County documents show Villard signed an April 29 letter to Pure-Green Colorado. The letter referenced the company’s intent to acquire the Trapper Mine property for redevelopment involving geothermal energy, advanced computing, and an industrial campus. It encouraged Pure-Green to initiate a formal project review.

The letter did not name the other party to the letter of intent.

The question is whether locals feel the county was honest about its early engagement with these firms. To hear Villard tell it, the confusion stemmed from how officials described the nature of their contact, not the existence of it. But the presence of specific meetings with named companies like Pure-Green and Toto Labs suggests the county was further along in its outreach than some residents might have assumed.

The moratorium discussion is the latest step in a process that has already seen residents pack the halls of county government. The goal now is to determine if a temporary halt is the right move to ensure the community understands the scale and impact of a facility that could transform the Trapper area.

Villard’s letter to Pure-Green was part of the paper trail. Now the board must decide if a pause is necessary to rebuild trust before moving forward with permanent zoning changes.