Attorney Hank Graddy argued the county’s zoning plan does not specifically address where, or how many, data centers can be built. He also argued residents need to hear from the developer itself before moving forward.
“He needs to be able to answer questions. And here we have somebody who wants to build the biggest thing that's ever been built in Mason County, and we don't know who they are,” he said.
The planning commission held a hearing Wednesday in order to gather input on a proposal by the Mason County Industrial Development Authority to rezone 28 properties, paving the way for an undisclosed company to build a 2,080-acre data center campus in the area. It would be built just north of the AA Highway, west of the town of Maysville.
The hearing grew tense when Graddy pressed data center attorney Tanner Nichols on the developer’s identity, which has only been shared with a handful of county officials bound by non-disclosure agreements. Nichols said such agreements are common in the tech industry.
“I asked, ‘Who was the builder?,” Graddy said.
“A Fortune 50 tech company,” Nichols said.
“I asked you to name that company,” Graddy said.
“And I said we’re not doing that at this time,” Nichols said.
“You have to because I’m entitled to cross-examine the data center builder. That’s what this zone change is about,” Graddy said.
Public hearing
County officials and supporters say bringing a data center to Mason County would advance the area, keeping jobs local and allowing it to compete with nearby cities like Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati. Data center representatives say it would bring up to 2,000 construction jobs and around 400 operational jobs after it gets built.
“Additional companies which have not considered Mason County will now look at Mason County for further expansion and growth into the future. Maybe not for you and I, but certainly for our kids’, our grandkids’ and great-grandkids’ futures,” said Dusty Porter, a resident who owns property where the proposed data center would be constructed.
But the majority of residents at the public hearing spoke against the proposal, with the undisclosed identity of the developer being a sticking point.
“A good psychiatrist would tell you that whenever somebody wants to enter into a relationship, and they do not want to reveal who they are or anything about their self, you are headed for trouble,” said resident Delsia Bare, who owns property near the proposed site.
Other residents also voiced concerns about pollution and energy use, as well as the conversion of farmland for industrial use. Large centers can use millions of gallons of water per day, and the East Kentucky Power Cooperative plans to increase its load by 2.2 gigawatts to power the data center.
“Construction will last for years, so we will have to deal with noise and all the extra traffic in our area,” said Alyssa Humphries, another adjoining property owner. “We’re gonna be listening to construction for years to come, and it’s gonna turn our property into a nightmare because our property value will more than likely go down.”
County officials say the developer’s identity will remain undisclosed until the project is fully approved and when the company decides to move in.
