'It's not the place"; hundreds turn out to oppose proposed Meade County data center

There was a line of cars outside the fairgrounds waiting to get in ahead of Tuesday's special meeting, where passionate community members were anxious to make their voices heard.

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Hundreds of passionate Meade County residents showed up to a public meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday to make sure their opposition to a newly proposed data center was loud and clear.

Tim LaTondress, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, told me they had to move to a bigger building because of the size of the crowd. LaTondress told me he was expecting 20-30 people to be there, and did not expect the hundreds that arrived at the fairgrounds.

It was a contentious meeting, filled with yelling, clapping, interruptions, and accusations. Residents accused the Meade County Fiscal Court of allowing this project to develop under a cloak of secrecy, including the timing of the public input session, which was scheduled for the middle of a workday.

The 11:30 a.m. meeting was an opportunity for the Planning Zoning Commission to approve a rezoning request before sending the decision to the full Fiscal Court. Ultimately, the commission voted to deny the request after more than two hours of public comment vehemently against it.

"I'm not afraid to vote against the opposition if the opposition is being close-minded about something, but these people had legitimate concerns," LaTondress said after the meeting.

About the project

The proposed AI data center would be located off of Joe Prather Highway, near Brandenburg on nearly 140 acres of what is currently farmland. The property has not yet been sold to the developer, as it would require a zoning change.

Public feedback

"I have not heard a single person in favor of this... if this passes, there is something going on," one lifelong resident of Meade County said to the commission.

Residents raised numerous concerns- from the noise the facility would bring, to the environmental impacts. There were concerns about the county's electric grid and water supply- would it be capable of handling this change?

Meade County Resident Samantha Campbell said, "We do not have electrical and water resources to work on this." She went on to talk about where she believes the county should be investing... and it's not in industrial growth.

"We should be investing in our local folks- farmers, businesses. Once we can do that, then we can start having conversations about additional industrial zones."

That suggestion was echoed by several farmers. "This is a rural county. Farming is how it started", Lucas said, "I'm all about growth, but it has to fit what our community needs."

He references other industrial projects like Nucor Steel, which were initially opposed, but pointed out that the factory provided hundreds of local jobs. "What's Meade County going to get out of this?"

The public comment was just that- an opportunity for public comment. The commissioners were not answering questions. "We want to hear everyone's opinion, we do, but we are not here to debate back and forth", one member of the fiscal court said.

Another resident who is new to the area explained how she believes the project undermines the root of why people choose to live in Meade County. "I do not feel like this will be beneficial to my family, who moved here to have space, and quiet and a 'down-home country feel,'" Campbell said,"I do not feel that this will help build community and build relationships."

Similar proposal scrapped in Oldham County

Earlier this year, plans for a large data center in Oldham County were scrapped by the developer, Western Hospitality Partners, after significant local opposition.

The project faced backlash over its size, power consumption, and environmental impact.

The project was first announced in March, with the developer detailing a massive 600-megawatt data center that would be one of the most powerful in the world. Within in months, the company was changing plans for a smaller operation before eventually pulling the project altogether.

What comes next

The Meade County Fiscal Court agreed with the county's planning and zoning commission's vote against a proposal, after nearly three hours of hearing from the community.

LaTondress told me the Meade County Fiscal Court does not have to vote in line with the Planning and Zoning Committee and has voted in a different direction, although he didn't expect that on this subject.

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