Lexington residents speak out against plans for proposed data center

Lexington residents have expressed overwhelming opposition to a proposed data center development by DartPoints near New Circle Road, even after the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council recently enacted a moratorium on such projects.

Last week, the council unanimously voted to pause data center development until October 31 and directed the planning commission to draft a zoning amendment for countywide regulations. This action followed DartPoints' announcement earlier this month that it had acquired a former Lexmark property in north Lexington, with plans to expand an existing data center to accommodate cloud and AI computing, increasing power usage from 20-30 to 70 megawatts. However, DartPoints cannot proceed with operations as it did not secure necessary city approvals before the moratorium.

During a public forum held Monday night at The Lyric, organized by city leaders, residents voiced significant concerns. Speakers, including District 1 council member Tyler Morton, acknowledged the council's surprise at DartPoints' announcement. Residents highlighted fears over negative environmental effects, noise pollution, and potential utility increases. Representatives from the Kentucky Resources Council also presented a model ordinance for communities to regulate data centers, suggesting controls on construction locations, design standards, and energy consumption.

Some residents, like Noah Cornett of Lexington's Democratic Socialists of America, argued that temporary regulation is insufficient and called for a permanent ban on data center development, citing potential harm to the Bluegrass region's unique resources like horses and bourbon due to issues like wastewater mismanagement. The city's planning commission anticipates releasing the first draft of its data center zoning amendment in the coming weeks, with a public hearing scheduled for July 30.