West Feliciana Parish president teases announcement of ‘fairly significant data center’
An announcement that “a fairly significant data center” will be built in West Feliciana Parish is expected soon, Parish President Kenny Havard said at the Tuesday, Nov. 12, Parish Council meeting.
Havard said,
The project will bring “fairly significant revenues for the parish,
“It’s about a 95% done-deal.”
Although rumors of the data center have been around for about a year, Havard’s comments were the most detailed of his hints about the proposed project.
On 3-2 votes concerning other matters, the council inched toward a possible adoption of zoning changes throughout the parish’s unincorporated areas, and also agreed to fill vacancies on a port commission that has languished for years without coming up with a viable project.
Havard made the comments about the proposed data center after responding to a question on whether the administration plans to move forward in building a rodeo arena at the parish’s sports park.
He said this year’s budget includes more than $1 million for the arena, but that may not be enough. He said he would rather wait
Until the project comes through.
Havard has said he is restricted in saying much about the data center because of nondisclosure agreements, but he said publicly-traded companies are involved in the project, and it will be built “next to the paper mill” off La. 964 in the southern end of the parish.
He said he understands the companies have to take delivery of some equipment by the end of the year and that they are nearing a deal to purchase additional land for the project.
Havard said,
I think it’s going to be a game-changer,
adding that he hopes tax revenues from the facility will end the need for parish officials to “kiss the ring” of state or federal officials for local project grants.
A data center or other computer-related facility would require an extensive amount of electrical power to operate and cool the components, but Havard said the principals have been involved in discussions with area power plants.
He said,
All of that has been worked out,
The proposed site is south of the River Bend nuclear power plant.
On the zoning matter, the council voted 3-2 to incorporate changes Councilman Justin Metz proposed to the new zoning map introduced in June.
Thomas Pate and Tab Ballard supported Metz’s changes, while John M. Thompson and Jerry Tanner voted against them.
After considerable discussion and the split vote, the members then voted unanimously to hold a public hearing and consider adopting the amended map at their December meeting.
Metz said he had emailed his proposed changes to the council recently, but they were not available for public inspection at the meeting. To view the map, visit www.wfparish.org/parishcouncil.
Metz said his new proposal removes “historic district overlays” that are currently shown on the map now being used and the new map introduced in June.
Several speakers at hearings have criticized the historic overlays, including a landowner who said his property is in an overlay district despite not having a historic building, and nothing in the zoning ordinance addresses how the overlays apply to properties.
Metz said he also incorporated changes suggested by property owners during a public hearing, but Tanner said the changes “look like spot zoning.”
Metz disagreed, saying they
Fit what is already around them.
In March 2023, the previous council adopted what may be the toughest land development regulations for a Louisiana rural parish, but had to suspend the chapter on zoning, Chapter 135, because the new zoning map had not been drawn.
The council voted 3-2 to advertise openings on the parish Port Commission, which, although it is a state agency, has members appointed by the council. The commission voted last year to ask the Legislature to abolish the panel because it had no funding and no projects on the horizon.
Thompson, Tanner and Pate voted to rescind prior action to hold off filling vacancies, while Ballard and Metz dissented.
Havard said the commission,
Is dysfunctional and will continue to be dysfunctional.
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West Feliciana Parish president teases announcement of ‘fairly significant data center’, source
