Carroll County residents push back against data center project in Ghent community
Residents in Carroll County, Kentucky, are opposing a data center project by Louisville-based Poll Companies in the Ghent community. They claim local government, including the Mayor of Carrollton, lacked transparency and didn't allow for public input on the already approved project. Concerns include potential environmental impacts on the Kentucky River and the area's agricultural identity, leading residents to plan a petition.
Residents in Kentucky's Carroll County are vocalizing strong opposition to a major data center project being developed in their Ghent community by Louisville-based Poll Companies. Community members expressed frustration, stating they were kept in the dark and not given a meaningful opportunity to provide input on the project, which is reportedly already in development.
The proposed data center will be located in an area known as Greens Bottom, situated between a regional sewage treatment facility, the Kentucky River, and I-71. Poll Companies, the developer, is also behind a highly contested data center project currently under construction in Louisville on Campground Road.
Carrollton Mayor defended the project, stating in a letter that the site is well-suited for development due to its proximity to I-71 and promising significant tax revenue for the county. However, residents accuse local government, including the Carrollton city and county administrations, of a lack of transparency, arguing they did not receive full information on the project or a chance to share their concerns.
Concerns extend beyond transparency to the potential environmental impacts on the Kentucky River and the preservation of the community's agricultural identity. Organizing with the support of a state senate candidate and an activist group from Louisville previously involved in opposing the Campground Road project, residents plan to begin circulating a petition as early as Monday to fight the development.