Joplin lawyer challenges city’s data center rezoning decision

Joplin, Missouri attorney Derek Snyder and his wife have filed legal action against the City of Joplin, the mayor, and all city council members regarding a rezoning decision. The lawsuit, filed in Jasper County, challenges the council's decision to rezone 600 acres of recently annexed land from residential to heavy industrial, a move intended to facilitate a proposed data center. Snyder, a resident of Wildwood Ranch, argues that the city council's decision was unreasonable and disregarded pertinent facts. He claims that the council relinquished its legislative and police powers by basing the rezoning on a 2009 agreement made by a previous council. Furthermore, the legal challenge asserts that the rezoning violates an agreement required for Wildwood Ranch property owners, including the Snyders, to sign when purchasing land. This document outlines rules and obligations for property use within the planned Wildwood community, emphasizing the preservation of the land's natural state and protection of the environment.