During the open forum residents and a county water commissioner urged the Spokane County commissioners to keep protections in place for the West Plains and demanded clarity about whether any rights for a proposed large data center have vested; speakers raised groundwater, PFAS and power-use concerns.

Public commenters said county critical-area and aquifer analyses are outdated or missing and urged staff to account for flooding, PFAS contamination, and water-supply suitability before adding lands to the UGA.

A Spokane County commissioner said they and Commissioner Jordan introduced a resolution to place a nine-month moratorium on large-load data centers to allow the county to create regulations aimed at protecting water and avoiding negative community impacts; the commissioner said they currently lack three votes for passage.

An agency official said community feedback raised concerns about the environmental and energy impacts of large data centers and welcomed Avista’s pause on power requests as an opportunity for local review and public input.

Planners confirm no influence from federal renewable energy stance on future development code.

Council outlines plans for aquifer protection and critical areas in West Plains development.

Committee addresses PFAS challenges and evaluates urban growth boundaries in ongoing planning process.