Nearly 30 area residents spoke during the public comment portion of the Warrenton Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Thursday, Jan. 8, with the majority voicing major concerns about the proposed data center project in Warrenton.
The public comment followed a presentation from representatives of Crusoe in support of their conditional use permit and site plan proposal for the data center, planned on property north of the Warrenton West interchange.
One of the primary issues brought up by several residents is a proposal to allow residents to vote on whether or not they even want a data center in Warrenton.
Resident Penny McClain said she was born and raised in Warren County and she said the project affects the environment and natural resources of the county.
“This needs to be on the ballot,” McClain said. “The community needs to make the decision on what we want or don’t want.”
Resident Tom Lindewirth also called for a vote by the people of Warrenton. Resident Darcy Boles said she felt residents of the city and county should have a vote.
“How can you 10 people make that decision and feel good about it?” Boles asked.
Resident Brianna Chalbaud and Jessica Adams also voiced support for placing the matter up for vote for the citizens. Both said they were not in support of the data center. Adams also said that the proposal is against the will of the citizens.
During the meeting City Attorney Drew Weber said that Warrenton, as a fourth-class city, is not permitted under Missouri law to put the matter to a public vote.
Resident Justin Roberts, who lives next to the property, said he felt that issues with the lighting for the buildings that make up the data center needed to be addressed. He said that he has farm animals that could be affected by the light and sound coming from the property. Resident Cheryl Roberts-Longhibler also spoke about issues relating to light and sound coming from the facility.
“This is very personal to me, it’s right in my front and back yard,” she said. “As long as the plans go as they say and better than, just so we maintain our quality of life and our animals quality of life that’s the important thing. So, we will see what happens.”
Resident Cody Turner said he was concerned about transparency, infrastructure and the long-term impact of the project.
“My first concern is the power usage and water usage, specifically how water will be used in cooling and discharged,” Turner said. “At this point the community does not believe there is enough information to confidently understand the impacts of this project.”
Turner asked what safeguards are in place to protect local ecosystems. He also questioned how the project is moving so quickly. He asked for a clear public timeline for the project.
Resident Jess Sutton asked commission members what happens when residents’ wells go dry. She wanted to know who would pay for those losses. Sutton also questioned the overall transparency regarding the provision of information on the project. She asked why city officials claimed they knew nothing at the Sept. 2, 2025 meeting, when her research turned up information regarding officials, specifically City Administrator Brandie Walters, having knowledge of the project.
Resident Jim Sharp spoke about how the community has become divided over the issue. He told the board members that they should have seen the issue coming a year and a half ago when American Food Group’s America’s Heartland Packing facility came into the county. He said he was disappointed in city officials that they didn’t see the issue coming and said that community members are prepared to not believe any word city officials say regarding the project.
Lindsey Holthaus also spoke about the distrust created in the community and issues relating to information being provided to residents.
Resident Reva Mays said she is very concerned about any toxins being released into the atmosphere from the diesel generators on the proposed site. She also wanted to know in the case of an emergency, how long the generators would be operated for. She proposed setting up a fund for those who live near the proposed site to protect them from the loss of property values.
St. Charles resident Abby Herndon asked where the information submitted by Crusoe is coming from. She further wanted to know what environmental studies have been done and how residents could check numbers provided by Crusoe during its presentation.
Other residents, like Sue Greifzu, brought up issues with possible tax abatements for the facility. She said she was also worried about water, noise, and other environmental factors.
Still other residents, like Angie Krekeler, wanted to know which company specifically would be using the data center and what type of data specifically it would be used for. Krekeler also suggested that if the revenues from the project were significant, city and county officials should give residents a tax break.
There were some in attendance who spoke in favor of the proposal. Greater Warren County Economic Development Council consultant Steve Etcher said the EDC is offering strong support for the project. He defined the project as a generational opportunity and noted that the proposed site is ideal for industrial development.
Resident Elizabeth Koper said that Warrenton and Warren County cannot protect what it has without money. As a teacher, Koper spoke about area schools and their need for funding.
“We’d be fools to say no to the benefits of this data center,” she said.
Resident Paul Miller said he was not initially a blanket yes for the proposal but is now for the project. He noted that any opportunity comes with risk, but that he doesn’t believe a data center would be a threat to the community.
