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Residents press planning commission on property rights and data-center concerns
Summary
Multiple residents expressed worry that the new comprehensive plan may not protect natural resources and that landowner-rights rhetoric could allow unplanned development such as data centers. Commissioners said rezoning requests would be evaluated case-by-case and the plan was not written to facilitate data centers.
During the public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan, several residents framed their concerns around property rights and future industrial recruitment, including data centers. Amy Gardner, a resident who spoke during the hearing, said she uses her Bible as her personal comprehensive plan and worried that "landowner rights seem to be overriding the Planning Boards and Zoning Regulations," adding she thought the Comp Plan was "a waste of taxpayer money."
Gardner and others said they fear language changes could make it harder to protect farmland and waterways. Commissioners responded that enforcement and rezoning are handled through separate regulatory processes and that the plan itself does not automatically rezone land. Commissioner Andy Jones said the commission had not been presented formal data-center proposals and that the plan was not drafted to facilitate such development; Chairperson Varner noted the commission will consider rezoning requests individually and weigh infrastructure and community impacts.
Members of the commission emphasized that public engagement will be part of future updates and that the plan should be revisited roughly every 10 years. The commission adopted the plan and forwarded it to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration.
