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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
The Mountain City Mayor and Board of Aldermen decided not to consider property rezoning that would have made way for the construction of a Bitcoin mine.
During their Tuesday meeting, no motion was made for approval of a second and final reading of the ordinance. The measure would have changed the zoning of a property off of Highway 421. This change would have allowed Bitcoin miner CleanSpark to build a new facility on Rainbow Road.
Despite public opposition, the ordinance was passed in a first reading with a three to one vote. City Mayor Jerry Jordan said he initially supported the idea because it was an opportunity to generate more tax revenue for the city.
Mountain Electric Co-Op CEO Rodney Metcalf said the revenue from providing power to the facility would have helped the company to provide lower costs to customers.
However, the group changed course on the plans after being threatened with a lawsuit from the public.
“I’m between a rock and a hard place, so I make the best decision for the town,” Jordan said. “Last night we took the best decision for the town — we ain’t going to fight a lawsuit.”
Jordan expressed frustration that some of the opposition came from individuals who do not even live in city limits and who did not take provided opportunities to visit other similar facilities.
Some local residents expressed concern that the noise from the mine would cause property values to decrease, while others were worried about nearby protected waterways. They also mentioned what they felt was a lack of transparency from officials regarding potential plans.
While CleanSpark could look for property outside of city limits where there are no current zoning restrictions, Johnson County is considering changes that would limit data centers and cryptocurrency miners.
“Looking at what they had in Norcross (Georgia), I still believe today that it wouldn’t be an issue,” Jordan said. “But a lot of people don’t feel that way, and I respect them, I really do. And, so we are just going to move on.”
