Olive Branch Mayor Says Data-Center Ordinance Coming Aug. 18; Losing Debris Site Would Cost City $1.2 Million
OLIVE BRANCH — Mayor Ken Adams told the Board of Aldermen Aug. 4 that the city has spent four months drafting a data-center ordinance he described as tightly restrictive, addressing residents' concerns about a proposed industrial rezoning.
“It's a very restrictive ordinance and very candidly one would not even go on this property that's being discussed,” Adams said. He said the ordinance is expected to come before the board at its Aug. 18 meeting.
The remarks came during debate over the proposed DeSoto Innovation District, a rezoning of roughly 600 acres near Church and Craft roads that links a landfill expansion to a larger industrial development. The board delayed a final vote on the rezoning to Sept. 1 while planning officials work with the developer on changes suggested at the meeting.
Adams also put a price on what the city stands to lose if Olive Branch loses use of the local debris-disposal site: roughly $1.2 million in added costs the first year, and about $600,000 annually after that, to haul waste to Marshall County.
“It would be about 1.2 mill the first year and about 600,000 the second year,” Adams said.
Responding to social-media commentary on the rezoning, Adams told the board the city has not approved a new warehouse in years. “This board of alderman in the city of Olive Branch has not issued a permit for a warehouse in over three and a half years,” Adams said, adding that most warehouses visible near the city predate their annexation into Olive Branch.
The rezoning application does not include a request for a data center, according to the city, though residents have raised the prospect during public hearings. The DeSoto County landfill is near capacity.