Editor's note: This story was originally published by Suncoast Searchlight.
After a marathon six-hour DeSoto County commission meeting Tuesday, an application to rezone roughly 238 acres to accommodate a hyperscale data center project narrowly failed in a tie vote.
Two commissioners supported it; two opposed it. One, Steve Hickox, recused himself over a potential conflict of interest, but not without registering his disapproval of the project.
“Nothing in this life is free,” Hickox said. “We all would have to pay a price for the financial advantages that the data center would bring.”
But the project’s fate is not yet sealed. Commissioners are scheduled to vote Wednesday on another rezoning application from the same developer, DCIP Group, which has sought to assemble roughly 826 acres for a complex of natural gas-powered data centers near Arcadia.
The commissioners were sharply divided over the project, weighing the promise of substantial tax revenue over concerns about noise, pollution and the potential impacts on surrounding areas.
“Hands down, it’s a good deal,” said Commissioner Elton Langford, who voted in favor of the application. Speaking at length, he urged residents not to fear “the unknown” and said he believed the company would bring crucial tax revenue to the rural county.
Commissioners J.C. Deriso and Judy Schafer said they had met with community members who live near data centers in other parts of the country and left those conversations more open to the project.
“The easiest thing for me to do would be to go with the people with the loudest voice in this room,” said Deriso. “But I’m thinking past this year and next year, and I am thinking about what my kids and grandkids are going to be living around when they’re here, and I think that this is something that we shouldn’t just shut the door on as a hard ‘no.’”
Schafer shared Deriso’s perspective, but said she believed the proposed project would be “too massive.”
“Do I think we need [a data center]? Absolutely, one hundred percent,” said Schafer. “Do I think it’s ready? I do not.”
DCIP Group CEO Jon Brown declined to comment after Tuesday’s meeting.
The vote comes seven months after DeSoto County approved an application to rezone an initial 34 acres for DCIP Group on the site of a decommissioned power plant on Roan Street, a rural lane just east of Arcadia.
Since then, the company has weathered community blowback as it has pursued applications to rezone hundreds of additional acres of land to accommodate a complex of natural gas-powered data center facilities in the rural county.
In July, the county adopted a moratorium on data center projects — joining a growing movement among local governments barring staff from even considering applications for new data center projects for a year.
When the planning commission reviewed the second rezoning proposal from DCIP group earlier this month, they recommended the county deny its application by a vote of 4 to 1.
During the Tuesday night meeting, DCIP Group and the county offered dueling analyses of the data center proposal and whether it would conform to the county’s vision for development.
In introducing the agenda item, Misty Servia, DeSoto County’s planning director, enumerated concerns county staff had identified in reviewing the company’s application.
“The project does not align with the Arcadia urban area expansion philosophy,” said Servia. “There’s also no information about the disposal of industrial wastewater.”
In a report, county staff outlined conditions for the project in the event that it was approved, including that it be limited to one story in height and contain 25% open space.
“We just don’t have regulations here yet for data centers and that has made it a little bit challenging,” Servia said. She added that, absent operational details about the project, it would be difficult for the county to identify and mitigate the project’s possible adverse impacts.
Before taking public comment, the county heard from Gary Seibein, an expert in architectural acoustics who played a series of tones and common sounds to demonstrate relative decibel levels — a noisy restaurant at 70 dBA, the interior of a vehicle driving down the highway at 60 dBA and the drone of insects at night, 50.
He recommended the county require the data center not exceed a noise level of 45 dBA.
DCIP Group responds to DeSoto planning staff recommendations
Kerri Burns, an environmental consultant representing DCIP Group, said the data center project would consist of a “highly efficient, sophisticated facility” operating continuously and running on microgrid power generation. DCIP Group had sought a total of about 826 acres to build out a complex of data centers in DeSoto County, according to Burns.
She outlined the numerous meetings DCIP Group had held in 2025 with state and local regulator bodies and noted that, if approved, the company would need to obtain air permitting, protected species surveying, an industrial wastewater permit and meet other regulatory requirements.
“The concept plan that is presented with our application proposes no development in the conservation overlay,” said Burns, who said the project fell well within the county’s building regulations and that it would include “extensive setbacks and buffers” between the data center buildings and nearby properties.
She argued that the development would bring additional tax revenue to the county and spur subsequent economic growth.
“The development is consistent with the long-term vision for the area and,” Burns said, “reflects the type of transition expected for the community as it evolves [from] predominant agricultural uses into a more diverse mixed use for other developments, commercial developments, residential developments, or other forms of industrial developments.”
Julie Schrader, a land use attorney representing DCIP Group, said the company had not sought economic incentives for the project.
During the company’s presentation, a consultant representing DCIP Group pushed back against the county’s suggested noise requirements — recommending a limit of 55 dBA and expressing concerns about county planners’ recommendation that the county adopt continual noise monitoring. He said it would generate a burdensome amount of data. Instead, the company requested officials adopt a process for residents to submit noise complaints for the company to review and investigate.
Public commenters grapple with data center proposal
During public comment, with a few exceptions, residents expressed familiar concerns about the possible environmental and health impacts of the proposed data center.
“I recognize that Desoto County needs economic development and additional tax revenue, and as a local business owner, I definitely understand that,” said Ashwani Soin, who operates Arcadia Oaks Assisted Living — located down the road from the proposed data center project. Soin said he spoke on behalf of the residents at the retirement home and urged the county to reject the rezoning application.
“Not every development belongs in every location,” said Soin, “and economic growth cannot justify forcing vulnerable people to bear unmeasured risks.”
Some residents spoke about the health impacts of exposure to small particulate matter expelled by gas turbines and raised concerns about the psychological impacts of exposure to the continual background hum associated with data centers.
“Prolonged exposure can impact concentration, memory, decision making,” said DeSoto resident Sarah Hollenhorst. “Our children must be protected. Low frequency sound can profoundly impact our emotional state, leading to anxiety and mood swings.”
Others argued that DCIP Group had not sufficiently articulated specific plans to make its data centers operable.
“I have read, researched, and studied every single page of this request,” said Theresa Collins-Hill, a DeSoto resident and member of the county’s Planning Commission. “Here’s what I didn’t see: construction phase detail, number of generators with allowable hours of use, number of turbines, whether it will be a closed loop or evaporative cooling system, reclaimed water agreement, accurate water and wastewater plan, [or an] emergency response plan.”
One resident played a recording on behalf of Asha Stalnaker, who was out of town during the meeting and said her home sits a half mile from the proposed facilities.
“Where are the definitive details about generation equipment, fuel cells, emissions, noise, water demand, and supporting infrastructure?” said Stalnaker. “How can we determine compatibility with surrounding properties when the full operational impacts have not yet been established?”
Stalnaker, a realtor, added that she would consider taking legal action if the measure passed.
During roughly one-and-a-half hours of public comment, seven people advocated for the plan, citing tax revenue the project could generate.
One commenter who supported the project said she spoke on behalf of her family, whose land is under consideration for sale to DCIP group.
A Collier County resident who sold the initial 34 acres to DCIP Group spoke in favor. Another commenter said he had built his wealth in data centers and praised the industry.
Two associates of DCIP Group who the company introduced to a reporter as real estate consultants during a previous interview spoke in favor of the project.
“We need a stronger tax base to maintain our roads, expand wastewater capacity, and support the public servants who protect us,” said Steve Fussell, one of the realtors who consulted with DCIP group as it sought contracts with local landowners. “Preserving DeSoto County isn’t just about saying no to development, it’s about making thoughtful decisions about where development belongs and saying yes to the right kinds of developments.
Alice Herman is a watchdog/investigative reporter for Suncoast Searchlight. Email her at alice@suncoastsearchlight.org.
