Cheyenne is rewriting the rules for big, long-running construction jobs, and the city's Planning Commission has signed off on the first batch.
At its Monday, Oct. 19 meeting, the commission endorsed a set of amendments to the city's Unified Development Code that would set stricter quiet hours for construction and require a buffer between temporary labor housing and places like schools, Cap City News reported. The changes now head to the Cheyenne City Council.
Standards written specifically for data centers were delayed another two weeks.
For contractors working in and around Wyoming's capital, these are rules that could change how large jobs are staffed, lit, secured and scheduled.
Why the city is acting
The UDC sets zoning rules and building codes for the whole city. Cap City News reports the goal of the amendments is to help Cheyenne's development standards catch up with the pace of large industrial projects like data centers, which the code wasn't written with in mind.
Data centers in particular tend to be multi-year efforts, the outlet noted, which stretches out the effects of construction on traffic, noise and lighting.
What the amendments would do
According to Cap City News, the package the commission endorsed would:
- Change construction quiet hours. An amendment to Section 1.4.3 changes the window tied to the city's stricter nighttime noise limits, moving from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, as the outlet described it.
- Buffer temporary workforce housing. The same section would require a 1,000-foot buffer between temporary workforce housing, which sometimes goes up alongside large data center projects, and neighborhoods, churches and schools.
- Disclose water use. Changes to Section 4.5.3 would require site plans to state estimated monthly water consumption in gallons. Before, developers only had to show adequate water and sewer capacity, without specific numbers.
- Put utility costs on developers. Amendments to Section 4.5.4 make developers responsible for all construction costs of required system expansion and utility improvements.
- Set rules for big sites. Changes to Section 5.8.9 would require construction sites over 5 acres to submit site layout plans to the city, use downward-facing shielded lighting at property lines, provide 125% financial security for site reclamation, and submit traffic impact studies for sites expecting more than 100 workers at any time.
Data center rules on hold
Section 5.7.1, which would set codes specific to data center developments, was postponed for two weeks so staff could organize several amendments proposed and approved during the meeting, Cap City News reported.
Those amendments include setbacks of 1 to 2 miles for data centers with on-site power generation, and 2,000-foot setbacks for data centers running round-the-clock fuel cells or backup diesel generators.
What's next
The rest of the package goes to the City Council for review. If the council approves it, Cap City News reports, Cheyenne will have clearer and stricter rules for long-term construction projects inside city limits. The data center section is expected back before the Planning Commission in about two weeks.
Why it matters for contractors
Several of these rules land directly on the jobsite. A 125% reclamation security on sites over 5 acres is a real cost that is likely to show up in bonds or other security. Traffic studies for jobs with more than 100 workers, shielded lighting at property lines and site layout plans all add early paperwork and design work, especially for general contractors running large crews.
The workforce housing buffer matters for anyone planning temporary camps or man-camp style housing for big projects. Keeping that housing 1,000 feet from neighborhoods, churches and schools could limit where it can go. And requiring developers to pay all costs of required utility expansion could change project budgets, which can affect how much is left for the build itself.
Contractors bidding large industrial or data center work in Cheyenne should read the proposed changes, follow them to the City Council, and watch for the data center setback rules when they come back in two weeks.