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Wythe County official says data center has drawn widespread opposition as commission urges more details
Summary
An ex‑officio official told the Planning Commission he has received far more calls opposing a proposed data center than supporting it; county staff said the site is roughly 99 acres and that the Town of Wytheville would flush about 1 million gallons monthly as part of water treatment — details the county is still seeking from the company.
Mr. Burnett, the commission’s ex‑officio representative, told the Wythe County Planning Commission on Jan. 5 that residents have pressed county officials with concerns about a proposed data center and that most calls he has received are opposed to the project. "For me it is one for it and probably a hundred against it," he said.
Deputy County Administrator Matt Hankins provided technical context during the commission’s ex‑officio report. He said preliminary plans indicate the site is "ninety‑nine point something acre[s]," and that the Town of Wytheville’s treated water system requires monthly flushing of treated water — Hankins estimated "about a million gallons" — which has raised questions about where that discharge goes and how it would be managed.
The county has asked the company for more detailed operational and infrastructure numbers but has not yet received a formal, releasable set of figures or a scheduled town hall presentation, Hankins said. "We have seen some preliminary plans but not anything that is releasable yet," he said.
Burnett and other commissioners discussed whether zoning changes could address residents’ concerns. Burnett said he is "still not 100% that zoning will do what we want it to do," and that broad community input is needed before policy choices are made. He also stated his personal opposition to a data center in rural county areas: "I would not be for a data center in no way shape or form."
The planning commission and county staff emphasized they are gathering information and awaiting more detailed proposals from the company. No formal land‑use decision or zoning change was taken at the Jan. 5 meeting; commissioners indicated further public outreach and technical detail will be required before the county takes regulatory action.
