Leavenworth County zoning meeting draws opposition over proposed development
Opponents of Project Bluestem, a proposed hyperscale AI data center in Leavenworth County, Kansas, are preparing for a legal fight after the county commission allowed a 90-day moratorium on data center applications to expire. The Citizens Against Bluestem group has retained an attorney and is raising funds, citing concerns over noise, water quality, and air emissions from required gas turbines due to insufficient power from Evergy. They also criticize a state sales-tax exemption bill for data centers and advocate for a longer moratorium and stronger local regulations.
Leavenworth County commissioners in Kansas allowed a 90-day moratorium on data center applications to expire, clearing the path for Project Bluestem, a proposed hyperscale AI data center on over 1,100 acres south of Tonganoxie. This decision was made last week by a three-to-two vote against extending the pause.
In response, opponents, organized as Citizens Against Bluestem, have retained an attorney and are raising funds for a legal challenge. Jim Karlskint, a resident near the proposed site, voiced concerns about tonal noise, water quality, and air emissions from gas turbines the developer would need, as regional utility Evergy cannot supply sufficient power until the 2030s. The group also opposes Kansas Senate Bill 98, which provides a 20-year sales-tax exemption for qualifying data center equipment, calling its passage into law questionable due to an estimated cost that could reach billions.
The Leavenworth County Planning Commission met to consider new data center regulations, including noise limits, setbacks, and chemical-disclosure requirements; however, opponents, including Karlskint, deem the draft rules insufficient to protect citizens. Developer Cloverleaf Infrastructure, through its subsidiary Meadowlark, has secured purchase rights to the land and stated in May that it anticipates thoughtful regulations and continued engagement with the community. A formal application for Project Bluestem has not yet been filed.
Opponents are now focusing their efforts on the incoming county commission, which will take office in January, after candidates aligned with their opposition won two of three seats in a recent election. Their short-term goal is to secure a longer moratorium to allow for an independent study of the project's potential impacts, arguing that a hyperscale data center would significantly alter the community into an industrial zone.