MAYSVILLE, Ky. — Dozens of residents in Maysville, Kentucky, will likely have to move after the Mason County Fiscal Court approved zoning for a more than 2,000-acre data center Friday night.
Gregory Thomas Jones lives at the Meadowland Village trailer park in Maysville — part of where the data center is set to be located.
"Data center (is) coming and that's just the way it is," Jones said. "I hate that we got caught in the middle ... we were comfortable out here."
Neighbors told WCPO the complex was sold as part of the data center plans, with residents offered $50,000 buy outs.
Another resident, Lisa Helphinstine, said she has no clear path forward.
"I have no idea where I'm gonna go. I have no idea what I'm gonna do," Helphinstine said. "There's no homes to buy. You have to buy five acres or more. I'm being ran out of Mason County."
WATCH: Residents voice their concerns about the new data center project
Jones said a recent conversation with the property owner gave him a rough timeline for what comes next.
"I talked to the owner of the property just a couple weeks ago, and he's saying everything should be official by July," Jones said. "If that happens, then he's gonna try to extend for three more months. But if it goes down in July, we're out of here."
Jones told WCPO that if the timeline holds, residents would have 90 days to vacate.
An official involved with the project argued the benefits to the Mason County Fiscal Court prior to Friday's approving vote.
"I think we've provided plenty of evidence to show that the economic development benefits, and I will say too that the fear of additional the county being overrun with data centers is, it, it just doesn't meet with reality. We have to have power," they said.
WCPO first reported in March that a group of Mason County residents threatened to sue if the plans moved forward. That lawsuit is now filed, with a court hearing set for June 26.
Jones said he is not counting on the legal challenge to reverse course.
"They're not gonna stop it," Jones said. "So the main thing now is we're trying to prepare ahead."
WCPO attempted to speak with property management at Meadowland Village about what next steps could look like for residents. We were unable to reach them Monday.
You can find a comprehensive guide of all documents and plans related to the data center project on the city's website by clicking the link here.
