Bonner Data Center
Update 6/8/2026:
The Bonner Data Center project developer is continuing to finalize materials for presentation to the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board (MCCLUB). At this time, the public hearing schedule is to be determined, pending receipt of a complete application.
You can sign up to follow this project at the right-hand side on this page. When the new date is determined for the MCCLUB public hearing, project followers and commenters will receive an email.
This project will be reviewed by the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board (MCCLUB). This land use board holds their public hearing meetings on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Sophie Moiese room of the Missoula County Courthouse. There may occasionally be a second meeting in the month, which will usually be the third Wednesday. There will be prior notice. These meetings are always open to the public.
The meeting agenda and related documents will be published on the Consolidated Land Use Board page.
Project overview
Missoula County is reviewing a proposed data center at 9314 Bonner Mill Road. The property is zoned industrial.
The proposal involves reusing a portion of the former mill building — commonly referred to as the planer building — for a high-performance computing (HPC) data center. This means most of the development would occur inside the existing structure, with no major expansion of the building footprint. Interior improvements would include constructing specialized rooms to house computer servers and supporting equipment.
The proposed data center would operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days per week, with minimal on-site staffing and relatively limited vehicle traffic associated primarily with maintenance and service visits.
The cooling system consists of a combination of adiabatic and evaporative cooling towers. The evaporative units would use water supplied from the site's existing fire suppression well rather than the domestic well system serving nearby residences. The applicant has indicated that no backup generators are proposed in the event of power outage.
The initial phase of the facility is expected to use approximately 7 megawatts (MW) of electrical power, with the potential to expand over time to utilize up to 29 MW, which is the estimated capacity currently available at the site.
Project summary
Current step: Special exception review
Application status: Third application submitted; Missoula County has requested more information.
Expected hearing: Postponed until further notice
- This project will be reviewed by the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board (MCCLUB). This land use board holds their public hearing meetings on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Sophie Moiese room of the Missoula County Courthouse. There may occasionally be a second meeting in the month, which will usually be the third Wednesday. There will be prior notice. These meetings are always open to the public.
What is being reviewed in this project proposal?
The Special Exception review is required when the use, because of location, scale, required infrastructure or other potential impacts, requires a special degree of consideration and control to ensure such uses are consistent and compatible with the overall community character and whether potential impacts can be avoided or mitigated.
This page has been updated to reflect revised staff analysis of the scope of review. The Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board (MCCLUB) must not approve a special exception unless and until they find the project application demonstrates all of the following:
The proposed use or development will be compatible with and will not substantially injure the value of adjoining property.
The proposed use preserves the character of the district, and the property is suitable for the proposed use (e.g. can meet the bulk and dimensional standards without requiring a variance).
The proposed use promotes the purpose and intent of the TIF Special District, where appropriate.
Substitute or additional design standards will preserve and protect the area’s architectural and aesthetic qualities.
In reviewing a Special Exception application MCCLUB shall give due consideration to the following:
a) Access, traffic, parking demand, non-motorized transportation and onsite vehicle circulation
b) Dedication and development of streets, rights of way, and public use areas, such as adjoining sidewalks
c) Impacts on or of public and private utilities or services
d) Proposed siting of any new structures necessary to accommodate the use and their relationship to adjoining and surrounding properties
e) Recreation opportunities and open lands available to serve the use
f) Natural resource protections
g) Landscaping and screening requirements
h) Signage and street lighting
i) Noise, vibration, outdoor lighting and other on and offsite impacts from the use
j) Frequency of use and hours of operation
k) Area of land necessary and adequacy of the site to accommodate the use and meet the intent of the district and character of the neighborhood
l) How the proposed use addresses the purpose of the TIF Special District intended to attract, retain, grow and develop secondary value-adding industries
m) Any other unique or relevant circumstances related to the property.
The burden to demonstrate compliance with these criteria falls to the applicant, not the County or MCCLUB.
Reasonable and appropriate conditions may be required to ensure that any potentially injurious effect of the Special Exception on adjoining properties, the character of the neighborhood, the purpose and intent of the TIF Special District, or the health, safety and general welfare of the community will be minimized. Conditions much be based on the criteria for review.
Zoning compliance permit
If a special exception is approved, the developers must apply for a zoning compliance permit. The permit application must demonstrate compliance with the County's data center zoning regulations, including requirements for new renewable energy and e-waste recycling. Zoning compliance permits are subject to administrative review and do not go through public hearing process.
Project review timeline
March 2026: Initial Contact
- Krambu and Missoula County Planning first discussed the proposed data center project.
March 25, 2026: First Special Exception Application - deemed incomplete
- The applicant submitted the first Special Exception application. County staff determined that more information was needed before public review could begin.
April 28, 2026: Second Special Exception Application - deemed incomplete
- The applicant submitted additional materials. County staff continued reviewing the application and identified remaining information needed for completeness.
May 11, 2026: Third Special Exception Application - deemed incomplete
- The applicant submitted a special exception application. Applicant has notified the county that a new application packet will be made available.
Date to be determined based on application completeness: Public Notice Period
- The County will mail notices to property owners within 500 feet, publish a legal notice, and post notices near the property.
Date to be determined based on application completeness: Consolidated Land Use Board Hearing
- The Consolidated Land Use Board is expected to consider the Special Exception request.
Date to be determined based on application completeness: Possible Permit Review
- If approved, Krambu may then apply for a Zoning Compliance Permit and other required permits.
How can I participate?
Community members are encouraged to stay informed and provide public comment. Comments are most helpful when they address the topics the Land Use Board may consider during Special Exception review, especially potential impacts to nearby residential properties.
Follow this project page if you want be emailed when there are updates with this project.
Who's Listening
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Phone 406-258-4946 -
Climate Action Program Manager
Missoula County Planning, Development and Sustainability
Phone (406) 258-3442
Documents
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May 11 – Third Special Exception Application – deemed incomplete
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complete_special-exception-application 032526 (1).pdf (9.04 MB) (pdf)
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Supplemental Narrative 5-26.pdf (27.3 KB) (pdf)
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Supplemental Information-4-27-26.pdf (10.5 MB) (pdf)
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Supplemental information 5_26.pdf (1.14 MB) (pdf)
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Bonner Site Plan COMPLETE.pdf (411 KB) (pdf)
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heat study site plan_Washinton example.pdf (553 KB) (pdf)
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April 28 – Second Special Exception Application – deemed incomplete
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March 25 – First Special Exception Application - deemed incomplete
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Correspondence
As a Missoula resident, I am FIRMLY against this project.
I'm worried about noise pollution. I've read that other data centers generate noise that impacts a 2 mile radius.
I am quite concerned about any data center coming into Montana due to their high use of water. The jobs promised are temporary and what will happen when they are no longer needed because technology has advanced to the point of no longer requiring huge quantities of space? We'll be left with rusting out warehouses and used up resources. I fear that our utilities will sky rocket as well. Please do not let this project proceed.
A.I. has not shown enough accuracy and consistent content to warrant building data centers to this degree. The river in out area is still recovering from mining damage and this will just make the pollution worse. Also, using river water to cool facilities means warm water will be put back in, even if they try to cool it down. This will be a huge blow to our aquatic life, which alsonis already at risk. Lastly, how much river access will be shut off in the name of security? I'd rather have recreational access than an A.I. center that does a half-a$$ed job. I doubt it will bring enough jobs or tax revenue to juatify the damage it will cause.
One of the biggest draws to Missoula is the access to nature and wildlife. I think it is risky and stupid to build a AI data center, there is no real way to know if they will maintain the limitations proposed. We have seen from other towns how AI data centers can negatively affect the surrounding environment and water. Montana is a beautiful place and is rich with landscapes, sunrises, and wildlife. Why taint that with a capitalistic venture that will ruin the environment, ruin the allure (and tourism) of Montana, and potentially ruin the city’s electricity, employment, etc.?
The priorities for this community are preserving the beautiful nature we are surrounded with, not with corporate earnings and greed brought about by AI.
The town hall at the church was biased, slimy, and censored. How dare you tell us to sit quietly and listen to a moderator twist our words while business men dodge our concerns with vague responses. We were given no information regarding health impacts of the community as well as false answers regarding resource consumption. Hold another town hall and allow us to speak openly against this disrespectful company and their harmful proposal. We do not support them. We do not support any data centers. How stupid can you be to think this will do anything but harm us in every possible way.
If the data center is equivalent to the power of 8,000 homes just to start that is way too much for Bonner and Missoula to handle. This data center will drive up electricity prices and continue to dry out our surrounding areas so a company can make money with a few AI tools or videos. Water is a basic necessity that we need more than some more AI tools or videos on the internet. No data center anywhere in Montana. We rely too much on our beauty for tourism and the enjoyment of Montanans.
In every community data centers have been installed in, there have been significant and detrimental impacts to the environment, exorbitant water consumption and overall costly impacts to both human and environmental health. I do not want to see one come to our community, and harm my neighbors, friends and family. I am strictly opposed to allowing this data center to exist in our community. It is horrible for all of us, our children, and the flora and fauna we share our home with. Please do not let this data center pollute our community. They can go elsewhere with their smog and water guzzling technology. They are not welcome here.
I'm quite concerned about the environmental impacts of this project, as well as the negative effects on quality of life on those living nearby. There's been so much work to clean up the rivers nearby in the past, and this is endangering their health again. There are many quantifiable health impacts of data centers, especially to air and water quality. With people living across the street from the proposed site, this project seems quite harmful.
My biggest question is, because it is well water out here- is this going to be liquid cooling? If so how will this impact our water table and wells. If this is to draw high kilowatt, what is being done to mitigate or lower our power bills, or are we expected to foot the cost spikes while the data center gets tax breaks? It isnt even goings to bring more than a small handful of jobs to a location that lost 100+ jib positions. How will this affect school children's development, mentally and physically? How many BTUs of heat will it be exhausting and dumping into the aquafier and air?
No. No. No. And NO. We went through this once before and it was a NIGHTMARE. Let's not do it again!