'We're all going to be affected': Osawatomie residents push for data center moratorium amid controversy

Osawatomie, Kansas, community members are vehemently opposing a proposed 600,000-square-foot data center slated for 116 empty acres along 335th Street and Osawatomie Road. Residents are mobilizing, planning protests and attending city council meetings to voice their concerns about the project's significant negative impacts on the land and local community.

Troy Harp, a vocal resident, expressed worries that the data center would affect not just city and county residents but also local businesses and the hospital, stressing the potential harm to people's lives from environmental, water, and electricity demands. More than a hundred "no data center" signs have been distributed throughout Osawatomie, with another resident, Donna Ingram, stating that while small towns need money, "this isn't the way." Concerns revolve around the necessity for transparency regarding the project's environmental and resource impacts.

Despite the city's potential to triple its property tax revenue and the developer benefiting from a 50% property tax break, city leaders maintain that no plans are finalized. This uncertainty, however, is not enough to quell residents' anxieties. Following a failed petition, citizens are now pushing for an ordinance to implement a moratorium on data centers within city limits, seeking to pause development and ensure thorough impact assessments.