Residents and supervisors debate Progress Park data center’s water use, jobs and AI risks

At its May 12 meeting, the Wythe County Board of Supervisors heard more than an hour of public comment focused on a data center under construction in Progress Park, where residents raised water‑use, jobs and artificial‑intelligence concerns while supporters and supervisors highlighted local revenue and closed‑loop cooling.

Several speakers pressed the Board to reconsider policy and zoning around data centers. Andrew Kegley asked for continued public hearings on the draft land‑use ordinance and urged the Board to rescind a January 2025 resolution welcoming data centers to the county. Sherri Burris said she feared the facilities create few permanent local jobs: “A modern data center the size of a football field can operate as few as 10 to 25 full‑time workers,” she said, arguing incentives often divert resources from industries that employ more residents.

Other public commenters framed the debate in environmental and community terms. Donna Nichter described a range of AI‑related risks—bias, privacy loss, deepfakes and reduced human oversight—quoting a law‑and‑technology source and asking the Board to weigh those externalities in land‑use decisions. Sarah Bates told the Board the county’s Comprehensive Plan lacks a single consolidated map or list of historic sites and environmentally sensitive areas and urged a community inventory to inform future land‑use choices.

At the same time, supporters described economic upside. Marcie Zon said the project’s closed‑loop cooling will use about 2,000 gallons per day on average and urged trust in the county’s decisionmakers: “I choose to trust people until they give me a reason not to.” Joe DeBord Jr. pointed to an example in Sumner County, Tenn., saying a company that located there contributed $1 million to the local school system; he urged county leaders to pursue development where infrastructure already exists.

Board members responded to comments without taking immediate action on the project. Supervisor Rolland R. Cook reiterated that the data center will use a closed‑loop system and said staff estimated daily usage at about 2,000 gallons and that the site is roughly 1.5 miles from residences. Several supervisors said they share residents’ interest in preserving the county while balancing jobs and tax base needs.

No regulatory decision or vote on the data center occurred at the meeting; the Board logged public comments and continued work on the draft land‑use and zoning processes the public has requested.

The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 26, when public hearings on several budget and tax matters are set to occur.