Data center concerns dominate first zoning town hall
Around 100 residents of Barren County, Kentucky, gathered for the first of a series of town hall meetings to discuss countywide zoning, primarily in response to a proposed hyperscale data center in Cave City. Citizens voiced concerns about potential environmental impacts, increased utility bills, and property values, while county officials discussed the protections zoning could offer and the perceived illegality of a moratorium on data centers.
Barren County, Kentucky, held its first town hall meeting in Temple Hill to address concerns over countywide zoning, a discussion largely driven by a proposed hyperscale data center in Cave City.
Approximately 100 residents attended the meeting, where they voiced concerns about potential environmental impacts, decreased property values, and increased utility bills linked to data center development. Officials on the panel included Kevin Myatt, Director of the Joint City-County Planning Commission; County Attorney Mike Richardson; County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd; and several magistrates.
While citizens like Robin Lively formally requested a moratorium on data centers, County Attorney Mike Richardson stated that Kentucky law does not provide authority for the county to enact such a measure, and any attempt would likely face legal challenges. Myatt emphasized that adopting countywide zoning could provide residents a formal avenue to express support or opposition to future developments in official hearings, offering protections for agricultural uses under the Right to Farm Act. Brandi Button and Sheila Hatcher expressed concerns about the scale of the proposed 1.2 gigawatt data center and its potential impact on natural resources like Mammoth Cave and the Green River, asking why Barren County couldn't find legal ways to exercise caution like neighboring counties.
Despite historical opposition to countywide zoning, the prospect of data center development appears to be causing more residents to reconsider. Magistrate Tim Durham, whose district hosted the meeting, expressed hope for finding a "happy medium" through the court and magistrates, while former Magistrate Trent Riddle noted that discussions about planning and zoning had previously been viewed as government overreach until the recent data center proposal. Officials are encouraging continued resident involvement in the zoning discussions, with the next meeting scheduled for July 21.