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Osawatomie residents press council over proposed data center; council says predevelopment review ongoing
Summary
Residents raised water‑use, noise, property‑value and notice concerns about a proposed data center on the city’s North Bank parcels. City officials said the council approved a six‑month predevelopment agreement and staff will publish an informational packet; formal incentives and permits would come later.
Public comment at the Osawatomie City Council’s Feb. 12 meeting focused almost entirely on a proposed data center the city has been discussing for the North Bank parcels.
Several residents urged the council to slow the process and expand outreach, citing potential impacts on water, noise and property values. "I don't want semis rolling down my road," said Kathleen Henninger McElhenney, who asked that Piola residents and other neighbors be directly notified and included in decision making. Alex Lovell, a resident who said she and her husband moved to the area for the rural lifestyle, asked whether environmental and health studies had been done and whether the city has examined the long‑term effects of continuous generator or cooling‑tower noise.
Other speakers questioned job benefits and resource use. One commenter said large facilities use substantial volumes of water during cooling and warned that permanent local jobs after construction can be limited.
City staff told the assembled residents that the council previously voted to authorize a six‑month predevelopment agreement that allows the developer a no‑cost due‑diligence period; that period expires at the end of June, after which the developer would need to pay to continue the agreement. Staff said the packet that explains the pros and cons of data centers will be posted publicly and that environmental, water and electrical studies would be required as the project moves forward. "We have done our research and we're not going to put anything out there that's going to jeopardize our water sources," a staff presenter said during the meeting.
Mayor Hamson acknowledged both the potential revenue and the uncertainty: the city’s early estimates suggest the development could dramatically increase the tax base and produce potential mill‑levy relief, but he said the council does not yet have final numbers on incentives or exact fiscal impacts. He also noted the developer contacted the city and that the city has been marketing the property for development for roughly 20 years.
A representative of the Chamber of Commerce urged measured, positive economic growth and recognized a new chamber member at the meeting. Several council members said they are not yet convinced the project is the right fit and emphasized that detailed studies, planning‑commission review and special‑use permitting would follow before any final approvals.
The council did not take any formal action on the data‑center project at the meeting. Staff said they will publish an informational packet and continue to accept public comment as the developer completes due diligence.
