Callaway County commissioner candidates weigh in on possible planning and zoning changes as data center concerns loom
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As voters prepare to choose Callaway County's next presiding commissioner, one issue is already looming over whoever wins the race: A proposed data center development in northern Callaway County.
The project, which is in the early stages of development, has received support from state leaders, including Gov. Mike Kehoe. However, it has also raised concerns among residents about its long-term affects on the county.
ABC 17 News spoke with all three Republican candidates: Rob Barnes, Larry Robinson and former sheriff Clay Chism, about how they would lead the county as the project moves forward.
While the candidates hold different views on data centers, one topic repeatedly surfaced during the interviews: planning and zoning.
Barnes said the proposed data center has prompted him to question whether Callaway County should reconsider its longstanding lack of planning and zoning.
"The absence of planning and zoning, which, again, has existed in our county for a long, long time, I think is worthy of a conversation," Barnes said. "Are there certain things that can come to a county that simply need to be controlled? I think, while we never fathomed, I don't think, a data center coming to Callaway County, this might be one of those examples of not having anything. Is that the right thing?"
LINK: Full interview with Rob Barnes
Robinson also believes the county should explore ways to provide more oversight of large developments, but said he does not support implementing traditional planning and zoning, though he said he opposes data center developments.
"I'm not for planning and zoning, but if we had some type of restriction set up for X amount, the size of a building being built, that it would have to go through the commissioners to get permits." Robinson said. "You can keep the restrictions and ordinances away from the planning and zoning, but you'd have to put it out in front of the voters to vote on it,"
LINK: Full interview with Larry Robinson
Chism, however, said he remains opposed to planning and zoning, arguing that voters across the county have consistently told him they do not want it. Though, on data centers, Chism is not in favor of the tax abatements that have been used for data centers in the state so far.
"I just cannot support planning and zoning," Chism said. "People just have to realize it's all or none. You can't plan and zone one business, one area, one farm, one landowner. It just doesn't work that way. Planning and zoning one area punishes everybody, literally everybody, in rural Callaway County."
