Image Credit: Nashville Zoo / Facebook
Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –
According to a Nashville Zoo spokesperson, the closing date on the transaction for land abutting the zoo slated to become a large data center facility was July 6. And while the tech company looking to build is confident the process will continue to move ahead, Metro officials are still weighing their options including stringent regulations and an eminent domain proposal as residents continue to protest the development.
DC Blox, the prospective buyer and data center operator, has maintained that the roughly 202,000 square foot project is legally protected and will press ahead, with one company attorney recently saying the company already has “the permits in hand”, but public records show that to be largely untrue.
However, the current closing date of the sale of the land to DC Blox from MarketStreet Enterprises was slated for July 6, with all accounts reporting at the time of this writing that the sale did occur as scheduled.
But this still does not mean the company is vested, according to Nashville Zoo spokesperson Leah Trice, who said that under Tennessee Code, a vested property right attaches “only upon local government approval of a development plan or building permit, not upon filing an application.”
As there have not been any fully issued permits, Metro officials still appear to have a little time to decide how to proceed under the circumstances and will consider all their current options at their meeting this evening. The Zoo is urging residents to attend and show their support for three data-center related items.
The first two are ordinances originating from Metro Council members. One is a proposal creating new data center regulations, including a full ban on “hyperscale” data centers larger than 500,000 square feet and requirements for smaller projects to undergo public hearings and additional reviews while adhering to additional size limits, electrical capacities, and location restrictions around homes, schools, and zoos.
The second proposal seeks to implement a temporary moratorium on new data centers to allow Metro to further discuss and implement any regulations, a measure which has been supported by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
Both ordinances could affect not just the planned center near the zoo, but an additional proposed large project on the Fisk University campus which has also been receiving considerable community pushback.
And the zoo is also asking Nashvillians to support a suspension of the rules at the council meeting so Mayor O’Connell’s more drastic acquisition and condemnation bill, more commonly known as eminent domain, can be added to the agenda and passed on first reading.
But not all Metro Council members appear to be on board with this solution, with Councilwoman Joy Styles, who is also a mayoral candidate, saying the eminent domain proposal would face “guaranteed lawsuits” and is a “knee-jerk reaction” to public outcry.
Styles also noted that the mayor’s office has “known about the project for months”, seemingly corroborated by a statement from Alex Apple, spokesperson for the mayor’s office, which confirmed the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development met with DC Blox twice before the project was officially announced on May 20, though the office declined to offer the company incentives.
After unprecedented turnout at the most recent Metro Planning Commission meeting, the Council is planning to use a ticketed system to help manage what is expected to be a large, and likely passionate, crowd. Staff will issue tickets to speakers beginning at 5 p.m., with queuing organized to help minimize commenters’ time in line. Each speaker will be given the standard two minutes and will be heard in ticketed order.
Dedicated seating sections in the gallery will be reserved for data center public hearing speakers, and the two ordinances will be the final items in the public hearing section of the agenda.
DC Blox said in a recent statement that the company believes “much of the concerns expressed publicly to date misrepresent the potential impacts that our project will have on zoo animals and the community. We believe we can address publicly stated concerns by adhering to the latest, rigorous industry standards and with our ability to make appropriate design adjustments in response to specific concerns.”
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Rest assured that the data center pushers do NOT have the best interests of those they adversely affect in mind.