DATA CENTER: Emporia Neighbors United submits nearly 1,400 petition signatures to halt Digital Campus
Emporia Neighbors United submitted a petition with nearly 1,400 signatures to the City Clerk's Office, urging city commissioners to halt a proposed 1,000-acre data center or put its approval to a public vote. The petition seeks an ordinance prohibiting high-impact data centers and large battery energy storage systems in Emporia. City officials are reviewing the petition's validity and legality as upcoming meetings address rezoning and water policies relevant to the data center.
Emporia Neighbors United has formally submitted a petition with nearly 1,400 signatures to the Emporia City Clerk
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Office, far exceeding the 804 required to potentially force a public vote or halt a proposed 1,000-acre data center project. The petition calls for an ordinance to prohibit "High Impact Data Centers and Type 2 and Type 3 battery energy storage systems" in Emporia, citing concerns for residents' health, safety, and welfare.
The signatures are currently undergoing validation by the Lyon County Clerk
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Office, pending approval by Lyon County Legal Counsel Molly Priest. Simultaneously, City Attorney Christina Montgomery will assess the petition's legality under state law. Group founder Jay Vehige stated that the petition was developed after extensive community discussions and engagement with legal partners, following earlier City Commission and Planning Commission meetings.
The petition's submission follows a recent boycott initiated by Emporia Neighbors United against several local businesses whose executives supported the data center or were on city boards involved in its advancement. Vehige indicated the boycott, which generated some controversy, was ended after listening to community concerns. The City Commission has scheduled a data center meeting with Kansas Municipal Utilities on July 15, and a July 22 meeting to consider large-volume water and wastewater policies, rezoning 11 tracts for a data center, and a Digital Infrastructure zoning overlay. Emporia Neighbors United is urging residents to attend the July 22 meeting to press commissioners to stop the data center process.