Mercer County Fiscal Court Denies Data Center Ordinance
The Mercer County Fiscal Court denied a proposed zoning ordinance amendment designed to accommodate hyperscale data centers and sent it back to the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission. Officials cited concerns about infrastructure, electricity and water consumption, farmland, noise, light and the effects on the rural community, while opposition to a proposed data center remains intense.
The Mercer County Fiscal Court voted at a special meeting to deny a zoning ordinance amendment related to data centers and return it to the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission. The amendment, developed after a series of public meetings, would have created an I-T zoning designation that could accommodate a hyperscale data center.
Judge-Executive Sarah Steele said the proposal would provide some protections but required more work, citing potential impacts on infrastructure, future development and the rural community. Magistrate Susan Barrington raised concerns about power and water use, construction impacts, noise, lighting, farmland and nearby attractions and subdivisions. Magistrate Kevin Hicks criticized the hostility surrounding the issue, including reported death threats and accusations involving developers. Steele also said she hoped the Kentucky General Assembly would establish broader safeguards for hyperscale data centers.