Leavenworth County residents urge moratorium on proposed data center over water, noise and tax concerns

Dozens of Leavenworth County residents told the county commission on April 20 that they oppose a proposed data center in the county’s south, pressing elected officials to pause consideration until local rules and studies are in place.

Ed Irvin, who gave a local address during the meeting, said he is "pro business" but urged caution about the type of development the county recruits. "We have to be careful what kind of business that we're bringing to this county," Irvin said, raising concerns about energy use, noise, light and air pollution and the project's proximity to Tonganoxy High School and Tonganoxy Middle School.

Several other speakers echoed those worries. A resident who described herself as a mapper and data analyst said she has followed impacts in other states and told commissioners "aquifers are being depleted," calling for maps and careful study. Brian Morley said a data center would threaten groundwater and the region’s rural character. Lisa Thorne, whose home she said would be roughly a mile from the project boundary, urged the board to enact a moratorium and said she feared lowered property values.

Speakers also voiced financial and governance concerns. Robert Owens said he fears the state could later grant tax exemptions that would strip the county of expected revenue and suggested the county seek binding, long-term payment agreements with any large employer. Several commenters said a recent state package of incentives makes Kansas attractive to data-center developers, and they asked the commission to consider whether those incentives would leave the county with few local tax benefits.

A commissioner said a Department of Commerce official previously told the board such projects should locate where they are wanted and reported that a district survey showed roughly nine in 10 constituents opposed the proposal. Planning and zoning staff, speaking later in the meeting, told commissioners there are currently no county development regulations or specifications that explicitly address data centers. "There are no specifications for data centers as it stands today," John, planning and zoning staff, said, meaning any proposal would face review under existing rules or require a regulatory change.

Why it matters: commenters said the technical and environmental risks — in particular groundwater impacts — and uncertainty about long-term tax treatment could have lasting consequences for homeowners, farms, wineries and tourist draws in southern Leavenworth County.

What the commission did: Commissioners heard the public comments but did not take a formal vote on a moratorium or on any project approvals during the meeting. Planning staff said the absence of explicit regulations means the county would handle any application on a case-by-case basis unless the commission pursues rulemaking.

What’s next: Several speakers asked the commission to consider a moratorium and to require environmental mapping and site-specific analysis before any permit or rezoning. Commission members indicated they would continue to discuss the issue and to rely on staff briefings; no date for a formal decision on the data center was set during the meeting.