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Residents press Wythe County to reconsider Progress Park data center over water, health and noise concerns
Summary
At the June 30 Wythe County Board of Supervisors meeting, multiple residents questioned a proposed Progress Park data center’s water use, public health risks and local benefits. The board authorized a letter of intent for a lease option in Progress Park 4–1 and toured the site.
Residents pressed Wythe County officials on June 30 over a proposed data center in Progress Park, saying the project could strain water supplies, generate noise and heat, and deliver fewer local jobs than promised.
"I found discrepancies in verifiable facts," said John Stinbert, a solutions architect who moved to the area five years ago, telling the Board that typical large data centers use far more water and power than earlier estimates provided to the county. Stinbert told the Board that his review suggested daily water use could range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of gallons depending on facility size and intensity.
Maranda Edwards, a local resident, said she visited the proposed sites and said drought-stressed waterways and wildlife losses heighten community risk. "This is not normal to see fish dead on riverbanks because the water is too dry and too hot," Edwards said, and raised concerns about heat-island effects, noise complaints reported near comparable facilities and potential chemical runoff such as PFAS from cooling systems.
Stacy Beamer, reading remarks on behalf of another resident, also urged greater transparency from local economic development bodies and questioned recent local fee and disclosure practices.
The Board did not vote to approve a development agreement or permit at the meeting, but it did authorize the County Administrator to execute a letter of intent for a potential lease with an option to purchase property in Progress Park. That motion carried 4–1, with Supervisor Sarah P. Crockett voting no. Board members and staff then toured the 911 Center and Progress Park lots, including progress on the Connector Road.
County staff did not offer new technical estimates during the public comments. County Administrator Stephen D. Bear and Deputy County Administrator Matthew C. Hankins were recorded discussing prior outreach and planning steps earlier in the meeting, and Mr. Hankins said staff had been preparing for site work and related infrastructure needs.
The Board’s authorization of a letter of intent does not itself grant a permit or finalize a sale; it allows staff to negotiate terms for a possible future agreement. The topic is expected to return to the Board for further consideration; no final development approvals were recorded on June 30.
