Planning And Zoning Commission To Hold Data Center Hearing In May
File image.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
The Harrodsburg-Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on a proposed data center ordinance in May.
The commissioners were unable to give a definite date for the meeting, but said it would be held at the fairgrounds in the evening.
At the planning and zoning commission’s regular meeting on Friday, March 6, Chairman Bobby Upchurch asked board members Jonathan Elliott and Connie Allen to form an ordinance committee to review a possible ordinance for data centers. Upchurch will serve on the committee along with Elliott and Allen.
Upchurch said the ordinance should be available by the middle of April and will be available to the public for two weeks, followed by the public hearing in May.
The commission held a forum in February at the Stables to gather community input on data centers. Approximately 400 people attended, with nearly 40 speakers sharing their concerns with the commission.
“Public comments will be considered in the drafting of the ordinance,” Upchurch said Friday.
Unlike the February meeting, the May meeting will be a public hearing, which Upchurch said is designed to accept public testimony and evidence. Speakers would be sworn in.
“We will hold a sign-in sheet,” Upchurch said. Those who just want to express support or opposition can sign in to indicate their position.
“People will be welcome to provide evidence or testimony,” Upchurch said.
At Friday’s meeting, the commission approved preliminary and final plats for the Brown property, located at 388 Handy Pike in Mercer County, and zoned A-1 (Agricultural).
The plats submitted by Gary Brown to create tracts 2 through 4.
Kendal Wise of Vantage Engineering, who represented the applicant, said there were only two buyers at the auction, resulting in fewer lots.
“The result of the auction changed that,” Wise said.
The technical review committee wasn’t able to convene to review the plat. Kylie Donnally, the director of planning and zoning, said she hadn’t looked over the minor plat. The plan was approved unanimously.
In other business, the planning and zoning commission approved a budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
The new budget projects total income of $287,675, an increase of more than $50,000 over the 2025-2026 budget and more than twice the 2024-2025 budget. According to the new budget, the commission expects to take in $100,000 in building permits, more than $35,000 the amount budgeted last year. The new budget also projects contributions from the Mercer County Fiscal Court and the City of Harrodsburg to increase from $74,787 to $80,000.
Before voting on the budget, Upchurch said the amount is not much different than what they asked for last year. He said the building permits have been underestimated in the past. Upchurch said past trends indicate the projected building permits are more in line with what they will actually receive. The budget was passed unanimously.
Board attorney Henry Smith said they’ve received public input on meeting times and will discuss it further.
The planning and zoning commission previously met on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., but the time was moved to the first Friday of the month at 9 a.m. to accommodate officials’ schedules. Upchurch said they would try to hammer out a time that would work for everybody.
“I think we can start finding a time that will work for everyone,” Upchurch said.
The next regular meeting of the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission will be Friday, April 10, at 9 a.m.
