Spokane County Extends Data Center Halt

Spokane County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to continue blocking new data center permit applications and their review. The restriction will remain until June 1, 2027, unless county officials adopt regulations for the facilities sooner. It replaces the commissioners’ August pause, which had been set to end in December.

The approved measure also lays out continued planning work. The Spokane County Planning Commission will keep considering zoning revisions and county code changes, incorporating that effort into a broader comprehensive-plan revision mandated under state law. The longer schedule may give the Legislature time to address data centers during its next session. Any resulting state requirements could override county action before the local restriction expires.

Residents have repeatedly filled weekly county meetings to seek an extension, though some argued Tuesday that the new measure still offered insufficient protection. Spokane resident Brittany Anderson raised concerns that developers might divide a project among smaller parcels. Chief Civil Prosecutor Matthew Folsom said the resolution leaves developers no route around the permitting halt. He also emphasized that commissioners approved only the extension and its work plan, not draft code revisions. Commissioner Amber Waldref said the added time will help officials examine public input, learn from other communities and account for possible direction from state legislators. For Spokane County renters, homeowners, commuters and parents, the vote means proposed data centers cannot advance through the county permitting process while those policy decisions continue.