Angry Cheyenne Residents Speak Out Against Annexation And Proposed Data Center

Dozens of angry Cheyenne residents packed a city council meeting Monday night to oppose a proposed 1,200-acre annexation that could clear the way for a new data center. After more than two hours of heated testimony, the council unanimously voted to table the decision until September 14.

The annexation request was brought by the William S. Cox Foundation, which owns about 1,260 acres west of Roundtop Road adjacent to Happy Jack Road. Attorney Conner Nicklas told the council that developing the land would fund the foundation’s charitable work, including support for Future Farmers of America and agriculture. He confirmed that the foundation has entered into a purchase-sale agreement with ViaWest Group, a Phoenix-based real estate firm, to develop a data center on the site. The deal is contingent on annexation approval.

Residents voiced a long list of concerns: increased traffic, water usage, electricity demand, light pollution, and potential long-term health effects. “To me it looks like a quick way to make a nice big buck,” said city resident Sue Rocha. Thomas White, a Laramie County resident who identified himself as Native American, said, “I love the land. And the land that we have in Wyoming, a lot of it is getting destroyed.”

Councilman Larry Wolfe questioned why the public had not been informed sooner, and Councilwoman Dr. Michelle Aldrich asked why the developer could not use existing business parks with available space. Brad Emmons, speaking for the trust, acknowledged that ViaWest had been “directing some of the annexation.”

Neighboring landowners also spoke forcefully against the plan. Mark Eisele of the King Ranch, whose property borders the Cox ranch, called a prior annexation on his eastern edge an “unfair land-grab.” He said two generations are coming behind him to continue the ranch tradition. “You guys all rely on cows,” he told the council. “You don’t even know it.”

Gay Woodhouse, a former Wyoming attorney general representing the land’s former owners, raised concerns about a family mausoleum on the property. She said she had received positive responses from the developer about protecting it.

Jack O’Neill, speaking for Skybox, a Texas-based data center development company partnering with ViaWest, asked for a pause to allow for more community engagement. But he argued strongly in favor of the project, saying, “The Chinese build about one coal plant a week. We will lose the AI race if we do not do it responsibly in the free world.”

Several residents also questioned why Cheyenne’s growth plan, PlanCheyenne, has not been updated since 2014—despite a requirement for updates every five years. Mayor Patrick Collins said the council has budgeted $250,000 to $300,000 this year to begin that update. Resident Sam Galeotos pressed him: “Why is the process not being followed?” Collins replied, “I can’t answer that question. I don’t know.”

The council will revisit the annexation request on September 14.