‘Is it safe?’ Residents continue to push against data centers at town hall

Sedgwick County residents recently attended a town hall meeting to articulate their ongoing concerns about potential data center sites within the county. The gathering, hosted by the county, aimed to provide information on zoning codes and prospective regulations should data centers be permitted. Residents like Amy Seery urged officials to exercise caution, advocating for a pause to allow for more data collection and scientific assessment regarding the safety of data centers near communities before committing to a "big tech boom." The county is currently operating under a data center moratorium, which is scheduled to end on June 11. Scott Wadle, Planning Department Director, stated that the department is in the preliminary stages of formulating recommendations for the county regarding the allowance and regulation of data centers. The Metropolitan Area Advanced Plans Committee is slated to meet on April 9 to draft these recommendations, which will then proceed to the full Metropolitan Area Planning Commission board, other citizen boards, and ultimately to the county commission and the Wichita City Council. During the town hall, the planning department presented on zoning issues, and residents contributed comments at "information stations," frequently suggesting stringent regulations or an outright ban on data centers in the county. Specific suggestions included prohibiting data centers on agricultural land, advocating for their placement on industrial or brownfield sites instead.