Residents voice concerns over proposed St. Joseph data center campus

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- The proposed annexation at 6321 S.E. Pickett Road would allow a four-building data center campus to be brought into the city limits of St. Joseph.

During the May 27 City Council meeting, a public hearing was held for residents to speak out about the annexation. Most residents were against the act due to the lack of information on the property use.

Now, residents are expressing more concerns once the city confirmed a data center, known as STJ Data Center LLC, is intended for the property.

One resident said he doesn't think a data center could benefit the city.

"In the research I've done, it shows it can affect water quality and water quantities a lot," Brandon Strain said. "As someone who deals with that every day in my personal use and my business use, I don't want that for sure."

While another said she's still learning about data centers, what she's heard so far has left her against the idea.

"I just found out about it in the last week, to be honest, but I will continue to learn more about it, and my opinion may change with that," Roberta Dreier said.

Another resident worries about the environmental impact it could have on the city.

"Obviously, it's gonna affect the water, and it just I think overall it would be really bad for the city," Joanna Spiegel said. We were watching some articles on it on the national news, and there's just too many negative things about it that I wouldn't want to hear."

Not everyone is against the idea; one man said that he supports data centers, but the location is important.

"We see that technology is a big part of our lives and will continue to be. I think the choice is to be where we put these data centers. We have seen through firsthand examples in other communities where it's not so desirable to have it right near residential areas," Colton Campbell said. "Can we choose a better place? That would be my question I'd pose back to the builders."

According to project leaders, the data centers will support critical digital and cloud infrastructure, while offering a lower traffic generation, noise and visual impacts compared to other allowed industrial or commercial uses and potentially millions in local tax revenue.

The campus would also employ up to 200 people.

While a public hearing for the annexation of the property already took place, the city plans to hold another public hearing for the rezoning of the property on Aug. 17.

Rezoning would change the property's official land-use designation into a manufacturing district.

For the city to hold a public hearing on the rezoning, the Planning Commission, a recommending body, would need to send the request to City Council once the request is heard.

A first reading on the ordinance on annexation and rezoning will tentatively occur Aug. 17. A second and final reading on the annexation and rezoning requests will take place at the Aug. 31 City Council meeting.