Residents urge Leavenworth County commissioners to pause proposed Tonganoxie-area data center

Dozens of residents told the Leavenworth County Board of Commissioners on May 4 that a proposed data center near Tonganoxie would harm the county’s rural character, consume large amounts of water and electricity, and lower nearby property values.

“We really value our quality of life,” said Ginger Turner, a Tonganoxie-area resident, urging the board to “say no to the data center.” Turner told commissioners that the project’s lights, noise and traffic would change what she described as the county’s “beautiful” landscape.

Other commenters raised technical and fiscal concerns. Jim Karls Gint, who described recent meetings with Cloverleaf representatives, cited industry data on project delays and cancellations and urged a moratorium so the county can perform independent studies. “Delay is not failure. Delay is diligence,” he said, asking commissioners to put Project Bluestem on pause while officials verify water and power capacity and fiscal benefits.

Several speakers, including Roy Moore and Ted Brenner, said the project’s operating needs — particularly continuous lighting and large power loads — could hurt fixed-income households through higher energy costs and erase dark skies. One commenter who did not give her full name summarized a technical briefing she had arranged with a former data-center engineer and said accompanied site visits could be staged, urging unaccompanied inspections.

County staff noted that the state’s regulatory environment and recent legislation (including references in public comments to Senate Bill 98) complicate decision-making. Commissioners agreed to place a moratorium discussion and potential regulations on a future agenda to gather more information; no binding moratorium or approval took place at the meeting.

The board also acknowledged a communication from Sen. Mike Thompson urging an independent audit of electrical and water resources and recommending a statewide study before additional data centers are approved.

What happens next: Commissioners said they will schedule a follow-up discussion and staff briefings to collect data on water and electrical capacity, economic impacts and model tax revenues before taking formal action.

(Reporting note: speakers’ names and quotes are taken from public-comment statements during the May 4 meeting.)