Norwalk city officials continue to gather information as discussions surrounding a proposed data center development west of the city move forward.
Norwalk City Manager Luke Nelson and Mayor Tom Phillips recently participated in a University of Iowa College of Law discussion focused on helping Iowa communities better prepare for future data center projects. Nelson tells KNIA News the university is developing a ‘data center toolkit’ designed to help cities, counties, and residents understand key considerations tied to potential developments.
“The idea is to put together kind of a checklist, some things to bring or make people aware, either citizens or cities or counties within the state of Iowa, to say, ‘Hey, if you’re thinking about a data center, think about these things. Make sure you’re checking all these different items.’”
Nelson also tells KNIA News the discussion covered a wide range of topics related to data center development and called the session beneficial for local officials as Norwalk continues to evaluate the proposed project.
“We learned a lot. The only complaint I had at the end of this session was that it probably could have been a full-day-long discussion about data centers, but we were only there for just a couple of hours.”
The proposed data center project has generated significant public interest in recent months, including a public hearing earlier this spring, where residents voiced concerns about environmental impacts, water use, noise, lighting, and the overall scale of the development.
The full interview with Norwalk City Manager Luke Nelson can be heard below:
