Cheyenne Council Postpones Construction Noise Ordinance

Council members delayed a vote on proposed noise limits and related Unified Development Code changes for two weeks.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in City Hall

Bold flat-color editorial vector illustration of a cooling tower on an open prairie under a wide sky, with pale sound-wave arcs rippling across the grass. — The Cheyenne City Council postponed a vote on a proposed ordinance setting new noise limits of 45 decibels in residential areas and 65 elsewhere for two weeks. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should Cheyenne impose stricter noise limits on data centers near homes?

The Cheyenne City Council postponed a second-reading vote on an ordinance amending the Unified Development Code, which includes proposed noise limits of 45 decibels in residential areas and 65 decibels elsewhere. The council discussed the measure at a Monday meeting before voting to delay it.

Why it matters

The ordinance would set new noise standards that industry representatives say could require costly mitigation, while some council members said they needed more technical information before approving it. The delay gives city staff time to evaluate the proposed standards in Cheyenne, Wyoming's capital city.

The proposed residential limit is 45 decibels, compared with current industrial limits of 60 decibels by day and 55 decibels at night. The final noise standards remain undecided, and the council has not said whether the noise provisions will be separated from the ordinance.

The players

Mechanical Systems Inc.

A mechanical contracting firm whose project manager warned that the proposed noise limits could require expensive mitigation measures.

Microsoft

The global technology company whose metro director for Cheyenne urged the council to keep the current industrial noise limits.

The details

The ordinance began as an effort to codify water efficiency requirements, including closed-loop cooling systems, before expanding to address noise, lighting, confidentiality agreements and construction site expectations. Mechanical Systems Inc. project manager Paul Steed warned that lower thresholds could require expensive mitigation, while Microsoft's metro director for Cheyenne urged retaining current industrial limits; city planning staff said the proposed noise provisions would not apply to construction activity.

Monday: Council discussed the ordinance and voted to postpone it on second reading.
November 23, 2026: The ordinance returns to the City Council for second reading.

Political Context

The proposal would tighten Cheyenne's existing industrial noise limits of 60 decibels by day and 55 decibels at night, lowering the residential threshold to 45 decibels. Industry representatives argue the stricter levels could impose costly mitigation requirements on development in the city.

If adopted, the proposed 45-decibel residential limit would apply to industrial activity near homes in Cheyenne. Residents and developers would see the rules affect how noisy operations can be near neighborhoods once the ordinance takes effect.

The takeaway

Local zoning rules often hinge on technical thresholds, so the outcome of this vote will depend on how the council weighs industry costs against residential quiet.