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Residents urge city to limit water use, question notice and annexation for proposed data center
Summary
Multiple residents told the Warrenton Board of Aldermen they oppose a proposed data center annexation, citing risks to private wells, inconsistent notice about annexation boundaries and conflicting information about whether city or county water will supply the facility.
Several residents told the Warrenton Board of Aldermen on Sept. 16 they are opposed to a proposed data center and urged the city to protect local water supplies and notification procedures.
Raymond Bergeron, who said he lives adjacent to the proposed site, told the board he fears new wells or unregulated groundwater pumping would harm neighbors’ private water supplies. “If they go in there and they drill a well and start pumping water with impunity, we're all going to be out of water in 6 months,” Bergeron said, and he urged the board to require the project to connect to city water and cap that use at the city's daily average.
Cheryl Roberts Long Hibbler, who said she owns the large parcel next to the property, said the scope of the annexation appears to have grown—from an initial notice referencing about 178 acres to a later annexation of roughly 337 acres—and said she and other large adjacent landowners did not receive the statutory notices she expects. She also noted conflicting public reports about whether Montgomery County Water or city water would supply the facility and warned that drought conditions could compound strain on private wells.
Josh Chandler, a mechanical engineer who designs industrial heating and cooling systems, urged the board to pause acceptance of industrial permit applications while local building codes and municipal ordinances are updated. “I would like to see a pause and acceptance of permit applications, specifically for all industrial projects, for a period of time while we amend our local building code and municipal ordinances,” Chandler said, adding that ordinances could address light pollution and require screening to reduce visual and property-value impacts.
Other commenters raised development-specific concerns including soil stability and planned roadway connections near new subdivisions.
The board did not take formal action on the project at the meeting. City staff did not provide a definitive statement on which supplier would provide water to the data center; residents characterized public notices and maps they received as inconsistent. Several residents asked that the city verify notice procedures required under state statutes and ensure adjacent landowners receive timely, accurate information.
The board moved on to other agenda items and asked staff to provide additional information when available at future meetings.
