Dozens of residents used the public-comment period at the Ironton City Council’s Dec. 22 meeting to voice alarm about a newly announced AI/data-center development outside the city limits.

"So far, it's gained about 1,800 signatures in just the span of about a day," said Jeffrey Wyatt Lewis, who told the council he had been in touch with members and asked the council to consider potential environmental and utility impacts. He cited a University of Michigan study he said showed data centers’ growing water use and raised concerns about whether the facility’s operators would rely on local water and electric utilities.

Several speakers said the company and multiple proposed sites had been announced with little public notice and that residents had woken to overnight construction activity. Danielle Fletcher, whose family lives adjacent to a proposed Serta company/AI site, said she and neighbors had discovered what she described as recent night-time construction and expressed concern about historic burial grounds reportedly covered by the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation.

"If this plant goes through, we're leaving," said Lisa Moore, who lives across the road from the site; she questioned whether promised jobs would go to local workers and described the community’s unease over secrecy and overnight activity.

Cassie Adams, who identified herself as the petition organizer opposing Bay Area Data Centers, said petitioners will attend county-commissioners meetings to press their concerns. Other commenters raised questions about job permanence for small towns, higher bills for local customers, and possible environmental risks to creeks, farmland and groundwater.

Council members said the issue is largely outside Ironton’s direct jurisdiction when projects sit in townships or other municipalities, but they pledged to pursue intergovernmental coordination. The council agreed to contact the Lawrence County commissioners and to request a joint meeting to discuss the development and its countywide implications.

"The AI data centers are definitely on our radar. We are...formulating a plan," the presiding chair said. Council members encouraged residents to contact county and state representatives and agreed to try to schedule a joint meeting with county officials soon.

The council called for a joint meeting with county commissioners to review the project and said additional committee and strategic-planning sessions would follow to gather information from schools, the board of elections and other local stakeholders.