Butler County planners review draft rural comprehensive plan as residents raise alarms over data centers

The Butler County Planning Commission on June 17 reviewed a draft Rural Community Comprehensive Plan presented by consultants from Hanna:Keelan and heard residents urge the county to limit or tightly regulate large industrial uses such as data centers.

Representatives from Hanna:Keelan walked commissioners through the plan’s Table of Contents and six sections, which cover background and statutory context, 10-year initiatives, population and survey results, current and future land-use analysis, public facilities and transportation, and energy and conservation policies. Tim Keelan, a consultant with Hanna:Keelan, emphasized that the initiative language and future-land-use portion are where the commission should focus suggested edits because that wording will guide later zoning decisions. “The comprehensive plan could always be changed,” Keelan said, but he urged commissioners to get the plan language right now.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the plan will inform zoning and long-term decisions about where housing and industry may locate in Butler County, and several residents warned that the county’s choices could affect farms, groundwater and community services.

Commissioners discussed the draft map and noted Butler County’s relatively high rural density, which complicates land-use choices. Chairman Roger Topil asked why the Highway 15 corridor shows little industrial designation; commissioner Steve Barlean pressed for more attention to high-risk aquifer areas and the potential water demands of data centers. John Kobza recommended involving the Natural Resources District (NRD) for aquifer study, though commissioners raised questions about the NRD’s jurisdictional limits and whether it could affect county decisions.

Legal limits and leases: County Attorney Julie Reiter told the commission that the question of prohibiting certain uses or leases is “now in the Supreme Court” and that there is currently little legal guidance, so local restrictions must be considered carefully. Keelan suggested the commission could rely on the plan’s guidance and then use zoning to define permitted uses; he also said the county could consider holding leases until projects are approved but cautioned about listing uses in the plan that would be difficult to remove later.

Housing and development: Keelan recommended planned subdivisions and said he anticipates household growth along the Highway 81 corridor and in the northwest part of the county; Will Reiter said the county needs additional housing. Keelan also suggested considering housing rehabilitation on existing acreage as an option to accommodate growth without extensive new subdivisions.

Public comments focused heavily on data centers. Laird Nygren said he is ethically opposed to data centers and questioned why the county could not simply prohibit them; he also suggested negotiable community benefits, such as requiring a new data center to invest in regional fiber infrastructure. Keelan confirmed the county currently has a moratorium on certain types of development and said the commission could consider additional case-by-case extensions. Paul Maxwell, who described himself as a caretaker of a family farm, said development can be done sensitively but requires public input and time. Jennifer Frassher warned that high offers from incoming entities could price farmers out and said, based on information she had seen, that data centers can harm wildlife and have been associated with reported health concerns in nearby areas.

Process and next steps: Commissioners set a July 8 deadline for members to submit suggested edits to Chairman Topil, who will compile comments for the consultants. Keelan said a revised draft will follow after the August meeting. The commission noted a public copy of the draft is available at the Butler County Clerk’s office (regular copy charge of $0.25 per page). The commission scheduled follow-up meetings for July 22 and August 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the Butler County Highway Building in David City. Chairman Topil adjourned the meeting at 7:28 p.m.

The meeting record shows the commission approved the minutes at the start of the session (motion by Will Reiter; seconded by Steve Barlean; all aye; motion carried).