MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — Mountain Home neighbors are raising concerns about a proposed data center, but the project faces a major obstacle: the city's current zoning regulations don't allow it.
WATCH: Where the proposed Mountain Home data center project stands
The proposal from Weitz & Co. outlines plans for four three-story data center buildings at the Bennett Ranch Industrial Campus, totaling approximately 3.4 million square feet. The development would also include power generation, backup power systems and cooling infrastructure.
Despite the scale of the plans, the project remains just a proposal, with no formal application submitted to the city.
In a letter addressed to company owner Dan Weitz, Mayor Rich Sykes said, "On October 20, 2026, [Weitz] dropped off at Mountain Home city hall three copies of what appears to be a proposal," but has not submitted a land-use application, conditional use permit or building permit.
"It makes me feel a whole lot better knowing that it's just an idea right now and not something that has been approved and stamped and is going through," Mountain Home neighbor Christine May said.
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Still, the size of the proposal and its potential impact have some neighbors worried.
The developer said, in their project overview documents, its closed-loop cooling system would be designed for minimal water consumption, and an agreement dating back to 2005 would allow the site to connect to the city's water system.
But the proposal doesn't spell out what that agreement allows.
"All the money in the world will not buy you a glass of water if there isn't any, and we have to think about that," Mountain Home neighbor Lizabeth Braun said.
Some neighbors question whether a project this size belongs here at all.
"I just don't think they need to be here in Mountain Home. They can try elsewhere," Mountain Home neighbor Evan Peterson said.
"I just think that there's a lot of reasons why we shouldn't have a data center in the middle of town surrounded by houses," May said.
Months before this proposal showed up at City Hall, Councilman Scott Harjo went to the Planning and Zoning Commission, raising concerns about data centers, including their potential water use.
"I'd like to have an answer for that before they come knocking, quite frankly," Harjo said.
Now, someone has come knocking.
The mayor's letter said the city has been working since early July to define and categorize data centers in its zoning code. Right now, the city said, "Data center is neither a permitted nor conditional use in any zone in the City," meaning they're currently prohibited under city code.
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But some neighbors aren't convinced it'll stay that way.
"Just judging by their previous reactions to things, I think it probably stands a pretty good chance of getting approved," Braun said. "It's scary when you think about it."
"I don't want to see them get walked over. I don't want to see us as a community get walked over," Peterson said.
The city said no formal application has been submitted, but the developer can still work with staff and pursue approval once the proper zoning rules are in place.
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