Data center lawsuit proceedings begin in Simpson Circuit Court

A lawsuit over a proposed data center development in Simpson County, Kentucky took another step forward as attorneys for both TenKey LandCo I, LLC and the Simpson County Fiscal Court argued procedural motions before Circuit Judge Mark A. Thurmond. TenKey filed the lawsuit earlier this year seeking a declaratory judgment on whether Simpson County can enforce a county ordinance regulating advanced technology centers, including data centers, within the City of Franklin. TenKey argues the ordinance should not apply to its proposed development because the project would be located within Franklin city limits, where a separate municipal planning and zoning authority governs development. The proceedings on Monday focused on two motions - Simpson County's request for a stay in the case while the local planning and zoning process considers potential amendments to the ordinance, and TenKey's request to disqualify the county's legal counsel due to a prior unrelated representation. After hearing arguments, the judge took the motions under advisement and scheduled the next status conference for April 13.