Proposed Kansas data center sits hundreds of yards from psychiatric hospital, raising safety concerns
A proposed 283-acre data center, Project Catalyst, near Osawatomie State Hospital in Miami County, Kansas, is sparking concerns about potential negative impacts on psychiatric patients from construction and operational noise. A former hospital employee, Clayton Sherlock, and other residents fear the noise and vibrations could worsen patient delusions and interfere with treatment. Osawatomie city officials acknowledge ongoing studies but downplay patient welfare concerns, while the developer highlights significant economic benefits for the area.
Clayton Sherlock, a former direct care staff member at Osawatomie State Hospital for 16 years, is voicing strong concerns about Project Catalyst, a proposed 283-acre data center development in Miami County, Kansas. The site, located mere hundreds of yards from the taxpayer-funded psychiatric facility, raises fears about the well-being of the hospital's vulnerable, often court-committed, patients. Sherlock argues that prolonged noise, light, deep vibrations, and machinery sounds from the data center's construction and operation could exacerbate patient delusions, worsen psychosis, and disrupt crucial sleep, thereby interfering with their treatment. He emphasizes that the state and city have a responsibility to protect the civil rights of these involuntarily committed individuals.
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) has not yet commented on the proposal despite multiple requests. KSHB 41 also reached out to Alcove Development, the project's developer, for comment. Osawatomie City Manager Bret Glendening confirmed preliminary conversations with the state and mentioned that a presentation to hospital employees still needs to be rescheduled. Glendening, however, dismissed patient welfare concerns, stating they "have been determined not to be concerns for a variety of reasons" and directed the reporter to visit other data centers for context, which the reporter noted are not comparable in scale. He did not provide specifics on who made this determination or what formal assessments were conducted.
Glendening affirmed that the Osawatomie City Council and Planning Commission will play a role once a formal application is received, alongside required studies. He noted that a traffic impact study is complete, with many other studies underway, and stressed that "minds are not made up." Proponents of Project Catalyst, including the developer, highlight substantial fiscal benefits, projecting over $30 million annually for the city of Osawatomie and over $10 million each for Miami County and the local school district (USD 367) from property taxes and other revenues. However, Sherlock maintains that these economic benefits do not outweigh the ethical responsibility to protect patients.