Opposition to the proposed Flint Hills Digital Campus shared their various concerns and desires with and for the process during a recent appearance on KVOE’s Morning Show Tuesday.
The concerns expressed by representatives of Emporia Neighbors United were varied and have been voiced repeatedly since the campus proposal’s announcement earlier this month, focusing on job creation, environmental impacts, property concerns and more. Jay Vehige of Neighbors United commented on claims the campus, and a potential data center, could create upwards of 500 new jobs in the community, saying that is not what they have heard and seen from other communities which they have been in contact with in recent weeks.
Deacon Indermuhle echoed this concern and stated he believes, that while the construction of a facility would bring tax dollars and revenue to Emporia, it would translate to longterm financial benefits calling the project a potential “Net negative” for Emporia.
As has been reported, if the project were to move forward, it would do so west of Emporia with 11 tracts of land included, which has generated a great deal of concern for local property owners. This includes Bev and Dale Long, whose home is located right near tract 2, with Dale Long’s biggest concern centering around their property value and the potential strain on natural resources.
Bev Long says she believes their quality and way of life would also see an abrupt and potentially irreversible disruption.
The only thing more varied and diverse than the list of concerns expressed in recent weeks is the number of individuals who have expressed them, with Emma Mendoza of Neighbors United saying the matter has been a “unifying” issue that she says has brought individuals of all walks of life and all sides of the political spectrum together.
Another common concern expressed in recent weeks, and during Tuesday’s interview, is the quick pace with which the process has unfolded locally with all guests Tuesday morning saying they would like to see the process paused in order to allow more time for information gathering and community discussions. With that in mind, Neighbors United has developed a petition to place the question of bringing a data center on a future ballot.
According to Vehige, the petition, as of Tuesday morning, has received 700 signatures, with a threshold of just over 800 valid signatures needed. Emporia Neighbors United will be circulating the petition during Tuesday’s special meeting of the Emporia Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals, which begins at 6 pm.
The items set to be addressed Tuesday include the proposed Digital Infrastructure Overlay and the rezoning of 11 tracts of land, both of which were addressed during a better than six-hour meeting last Tuesday. In his comments, Indermuhle stated the DIO’s current structure has been another cause for concern saying it’s “permissive language” does not provide enough protections for the community long-term.
Also set to be addressed Tuesday night will be the potential application of the DIO to the land proposed for rezoning. No public hearings will be conducted for the first two items as those were handled during the prior week’s meeting; however, the DIO’s application will be subject to a public hearing as that matter was postponed due to the previous meeting’s duration without receiving attention.
