Simpson County residents express concerns over proposed data center

EDITOR’S NOTE – The original video report included Scotty’s Contracting and Stone operation equipment. Scotty’s has no involvement in the project. The images depicted in the video report include Scotty’s Contracting and Stone site work on an unrelated project in Simpson County.

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FRANKLIN, Ky. – Three proposed data centers may be built on what was once agricultural farm land in Simpson County.

TenKey Land Co., a real estate development firm based in Nashville, Tennessee, is working to secure approval for construction.

Residents in the neighborhood have expressed deep concern and what they once thought would be a forever home has now turned into a quick ‘pack and go’.

“And now that this has happened, we are selling our house to the developers because we don’t want to live across from this,” said Stephanie Hastings, homeowner on Steele Road. “They’re talking about over 400 trucks coming in and out. We don’t want to live across from that.”

She said that late March in 2025 is when she witnessed the start of construction across from her doorstep and with what she says is noisy and an ‘eye sore’ to see, getting away and selling her house would be hard.

“Who else is going to buy it? Nobody wants to live across from this… and honestly, I don’t blame TenKey, I blame our local government,” Hastings said.

She also stated that she was not notified when the lot became industrial.

“Last March we saw they were putting up survey flags. We were all like ‘what’s going on’,” she said.

According to the State of Kentucky’s Law, it is required to notify adjacent property owners of zoning map amendments via first class mail 14 days before proposal hearings. This also means to post signs to inform other property owners within 500 feet of the site about the zone change.

“We couldn’t stop it. We couldn’t demand that the land be turned back into agriculture,” Hastings said, stating that she only found out about the proposal only at the hearing.

Hastings and her husband decided to take up on the appraisal offer that TenKey gave for their house, along with their son’s house, and even attempted to talk to their neighbor, who she says did not accept the offer.

Hastings said she had lived on Steele Road for over 40 years. Her family built houses and once lived in a historic house across from the development site of the data centers.

“When we finally leave, I will never come down this road again. It breaks my heart to see this destroyed. I understand we need jobs for this town, but this isn’t what I visualized for my life. This was supposed to be my forever home.”

Hastings also expressed that, financially, they are making a livable wage.

”We aren’t making bank over here. We just aren’t. So, when they made the offer, we took it. The appraisal was a little bit below what the house is actually worth,” she said.