Mercer County residents speak out on proposed data center
After a heated public hearing on December 4, 2025 where residents testified about potable water consumption and carbon emissions, the Franklin Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission voted to reject a rezoning request for a proposed AI data center.
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Mercer County residents speak out on proposed data center
Franklin Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission · December 4, 2025
Timestamped Speaker & Testimony Ledger
3 verified timestamped clips extracted chronologically from the closed caption record. Select any clip to play that exact window in the master player or copy a canonical clip link.
- Clip 1 · 0:22 Franklin Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission Applicant and Economic Development Presentation Developer Representative In support auto captions, uncheckedWater Power & Grid Zoning Tax Abatements
Substantive hearing record before Franklin Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission regarding data center siting, utility capacity, and community impacts.
"to voice their concerns and learn more about a potential data center being built in the county. >> Industrial zoned properties is where data centers need to be built. I am Kim Yates. These are my neighbors and we are Mercer County. >> Strong reactions filled the room with more than 50 people signed up to give their thoughts on the potential data center to be built on privately owned"
- Clip 2 · 0:49 Franklin Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission Official Deliberation Elected Official Questioning auto captions, uncheckedWater Power & Grid Zoning Tax Abatements
Substantive hearing record before Franklin Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission regarding data center siting, utility capacity, and community impacts.
"From the health concerns of both people and animals, water usage, and noise, light, and air pollution, no issue was off the table Wednesday night. >> A large industrial data center placed near our farm, literally right across the street, is fundamentally incompatible with the care, training, and safety of our performance horses and all of the animals. >> [applause] >> Going like the city's coming into my"
- Clip 3 · 1:24 Resident public comment Resident Public Comment auto captions, unchecked
Substantive hearing record before Franklin Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission regarding data center siting, utility capacity, and community impacts.
">> The Harrodsburg Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission hired Curry Roberts of Parkway Strategies LLC to be a consultant on this project. He appeared at Wednesday's meeting via Zoom giving a presentation about data centers citing the benefits other states like Virginia saw with such projects touching on job growth and tax rates. >> In 2023, data centers in Virginia directly provided 12,140"
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