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Sedgwick County planners hear widespread public concern over proposed data-center rules
Summary
At a Wichita open house on draft guidance for hyperscale data centers, residents raised water, power, health and privacy concerns while labor leaders urged local hiring; staff said public input will go to MAPC committees for recommendations and no formal vote occurred at the event.
Scott Wedel, a planner with the Wichita–Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department, opened an open house on data centers and said staff and a consultant will package public input and options for the Wichita–Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and its Advanced Plans Committee.
The meeting focused on potential changes to the comprehensive plan and the unified zoning code to define and regulate hyperscale data centers. Wedel told the crowd the county placed an interim control on data-center applications beginning Jan. 14 and running through June 12 (extended March 4) to allow review. He urged attendees to sign in and complete an online survey that will close on April 14; the MAPC Advanced Plans Committee meets monthly and is scheduled next for April 9 at 10:00.
The public comment period that followed was dominated by concerns about water use, electrical demand, noise and long-term…
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