Gardner residents fill city council meeting opposing data center, urging leaders to listen

Residents of Gardner, Kansas, are expressing significant opposition to a proposed data center, packing a recent City Council meeting despite the development not being an official agenda item. Mike Ryan Gamboa, a Miami County Reporter, highlighted the proactive efforts of neighbors to voice their concerns ahead of any potential council action. The growing backlash is directed at an application submitted by Beale Infrastructure for a data center development near resident Jake Settlers' home. Nearly 200 residents from Gardner, Johnson, Miami, and Franklin counties attended the meeting, emphasizing that they do not want the data center in their community and stating that their homes cannot simply be relocated like an industrial project. State Senator Doug Shane also attended to support his constituents, urging the Gardner City Council to listen to the community's largely unanimous concerns. Residents are particularly worried about the project's location, its impact on students, and the environment, with one individual proposing an independent environmental impact evaluation. The community's primary demand is to be heard by their elected officials.