Clarksville City Council approves rezoning for proposed hyperscale data center campus

At its June 27, 2024 meeting, the Clarksville City Council voted to adopt an ordinance rezoning several parcels near Big Danger Road from residential and commercial designations to I‑1 industrial to allow development of a proposed hyperscale data center campus.

The recommendation to rezone followed multiple Planning Commission hearings and a presentation by the project team. Stephen, a project representative, told the council the proposal is strictly a modern hyperscale data center and “is not a crypto mining operation,” and added, "if this turns out to be a crypto mining facility I will resign effective immediately." Morgan Barrett, the city engineer, said the Planning Commission recommended I‑1 to give the commission more discretion during site‑plan review and noted that large‑scale site plans will return to the Planning Commission for detailed mitigation measures, including setbacks and buffers.

Supporters said the project would bring high‑paying technical jobs and long‑term investment. Representative Aaron Pilkington told the council the state’s data‑center incentives are structured to favor large‑scale investors and to discourage crypto mining; he described the project as a major economic investment for Johnson County. Developers and technical consultants described design choices intended to reduce exterior noise (water‑cooled equipment, thick concrete walls and tree buffers) and said the plan calls for islanded, on‑site combined‑cycle power generation that would not tie directly into the city’s distribution grid.

Nearby residents and property owners pressed for stronger protections. Harriet Ree, who said she represents family property adjacent to the site, asked for larger noise buffers because of nearby assisted‑living and Section 8 housing; city staff and developers responded that buffers, tree lines and modern cooling systems would lower exterior noise compared with older facilities and that a formal site‑plan review would allow the city to require additional mitigation.

After public comment and questions, the council voted to suspend the rules, advance the ordinance through second and third readings, and adopt the rezoning ordinance by roll call. Council votes recorded in the transcript were recorded as unanimous among members present.

Next steps: the applicants must return to the Planning Commission with a detailed site plan for review of building placement, buffers, noise mitigation and other conditions before construction permits are issued.