Citizens group sues Franklin P&Z over data center approval

Franklin Citizens for Responsible Development, a non-profit community organization, has filed a lawsuit in Simpson Circuit Court against the City of Franklin Planning & Zoning Commission and the data center developers, TenKey LandCo, LLC, OTN Development Company, LLC, and OTN Group. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment to overturn the Franklin P&Z's March 3 approval of a preliminary development plan for a data center in Franklin, Kentucky. The citizens' group asserts the commission's unanimous decision was "arbitrary, capricious, and inconsistent with both the City of Franklin zoning ordinance and Kentucky Revised Statutes." The complaint also claims that OTN Development Company, LLC and OTN Group, described as "foreign business entities," lack necessary certificates of authority to conduct business in Kentucky, rendering the application and approval unlawful. Additionally, the lawsuit raises concerns about zoning restrictions, the environmental impact of the data center's onsite power generation, and its potential strain on local water resources. This marks the second lawsuit related to the project; TenKey had previously sued the Simpson County Fiscal Court in January over an ordinance regulating advanced technology centers. A status conference for the current lawsuit is scheduled for April 13 at the Simpson County Justice Center.