• The proposal generated several hours of public comment from residents, elected officials and Microsoft workers and supporters, pushing the Monday night council meeting until nearly 2 a.m.
By Alyssa Tolman
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via- Wyoming News Exchange
CHEYENNE — Members of the Cheyenne City Council voted early Tuesday morning to advance Microsoft’s request to annex nearly 3,460 acres on the city’s southeast edge, rejecting calls from some residents and council members to delay action so the city can develop stricter policies governing largescale industrial projects.
The land, which is located east of South Greeley Highway and south of the Sweetgrass subdivision, is owned by ARP and Hammond Hardware Co., Old Horse Pasture Inc. and Lummis Livestock Company LLC.
It would be used to house the future expansion of Microsoft’s data center operations.
The proposal generated several hours of public comment from residents, elected officials and Microsoft workers and supporters, pushing the Monday night council meeting until nearly 2 a.m. Many debated the project’s economic benefits against concerns about water use, environmental impacts, infrastructure demands, transparency from council members and the long-term effects of industrial development near residential areas.
Several residents living in the Sweetgrass area urged the council to postpone the annexation until additional studies on the land could be completed and legally binding protections could be negotiated for nearby homeowners.
Wyoming Rep. Ann Lucas, R-Cheyenne, whose House District 43 includes the Sweetgrass subdivision, asked council members Monday to consider the long-term consequences of approving what would become Cheyenne’s largest annexation to date.
“I ask you to consider not just what this decision means today, but what it means 20 or 30 years from now,” said Lucas. “The decisions you make tonight are likely irreversible. Once this land is sold and developed, there is no going back.”
Residents also referenced a recent incident involving the city’s reclaimed water system, which the contractor building the Meta data center, Goat Systems LLC, contaminated with Cupriavidus gilardii bacteria earlier this year.
They argued the contamination demonstrated the need for stronger oversight of large industrial projects and greater transparency from city officials.
Others argued the city should negotiate a binding community benefits agreement with Microsoft before approving the annexation, saying the project offered the opportunity to secure long-term commitments from one of the world’s largest technology companies.
However, supporters of the annexation said Microsoft’s continued investment would strengthen Cheyenne’s economy, create well-paying jobs and build on the city’s decadeslong growth as a technology hub.
