Barren County residents weigh zoning as data center debate continues
PARK CITY, Ky. (WNKY) – Barren County residents raised concerns Monday about proposed countywide planning and zoning regulations, with much of the discussion centered on how new rules could affect agriculture, future development and a proposed data center.
The town hall was part of a series of meetings designed to gather public input as the county moves toward developing zoning regulations.
The proposed data center has been a major point of concern for residents, who have questioned its potential effects on water, electricity, property values and the Mammoth Cave watershed.
Kevin Myatt, with the Joint City-County Planning Committee, told residents that zoning would provide a mechanism to regulate where certain developments could be located.
“If you don’t have zoning you’re not keeping a data center away,” Myatt said.
Myatt said a data center would potentially be limited to a specific zoning classification. A request to rezone property would then have to go before the planning commission and Fiscal Court.
The discussion also focused on broader growth in Barren County.
Myatt said areas with existing infrastructure, including water, sewer and roads, should be expected to attract development. Without zoning, he said, residents have limited ability to influence how adjacent property is developed.
Residents also questioned how zoning could affect farmers and existing agricultural practices.
One farmer said agriculture remains central to the county’s economy and community, but expressed concern about what zoning could mean for property owners in the future.
“My business and our community is agriculture and I hope it stays that way,” the resident said. “But there’s a lot of concern.”
Myatt said agricultural uses are already governed in part by state requirements, including Kentucky’s Right to Farm Act.
Residents at Monday’s meeting asked for opportunities to review and comment on the proposed regulations before they would be finalized.
While the proposed data center remains a major concern, the town hall also highlighted a broader question facing the county: how to manage future growth while preserving existing agricultural and residential communities.
