The direction from here
My companion update covers what the Council decided on August 24. This post is about the bigger picture: why I examined data centers in the first place, and the direction I believe Linn Valley should take from here.
Why I looked at this at all
The starting point was a real problem, not an enthusiasm for data centers. Nearly all of Linn Valley’s tax burden falls on its own residents, and property taxes have risen sharply in recent years. A single large non-residential taxpayer could ease that pressure and potentially lower what every household pays. Data centers were one option I examined for broadening that base. They were never the goal, and examining an option is not the same as choosing it.
Residents made clear to me that, for many, the question is not whether such a facility could be made quiet, safe, or profitable. Many simply do not want this kind of development here. That feedback is now part of the record, and it has shaped the direction below.
Where I believe Linn Valley goes from here
1. Finish the research, with help if needed. The question now goes to the Planning & Zoning Commission, and I will recommend independent, specialized assistance (a consultant or outside counsel) so that any rules the City might adopt would be strong and the City would not be outmatched. The point of continuing is to be prepared, not to promote a project.
2. Be more precise about uses. The original overlay combined several very different uses into one framework. Going forward I think we should separate them, for example a distinct data-center overlay, a separate approach to manufacturing, and a separate decision on whether to include battery storage at all. Precise rules protect the community better than broad ones.
3. Actively look at alternatives for the land. Rather than only react to what might be proposed, I’ve begun researching ways to keep unwanted industrial development from landing on the key parcel by default. Early options include conservation easements, a land trust, deed restrictions, purchase options, park and recreation uses, and partnerships with nonprofit, tribal, or conservation groups, some potentially grant-funded. These are preliminary, but they are real alternatives I intend to pursue.
4. Update the comprehensive plan. Underneath all of this is a plan that is roughly 19 years old. Updating it is a community conversation about what Linn Valley should look like in 10, 15, and 20 years, covering everyday needs like a gas station, grocery options, and services, not just this one question. Data centers are a single piece of a much larger picture.
The guardrails do not change
Whatever happens with the overlay, the protections built into the process remain:
- Any project would require annexation, Planning & Zoning review, a conditional-use permit, public hearings, and a Council vote. Nothing is by-right.
- The draft framework kept infrastructure costs off residents’ bills, required generous buffers from homes and the lake, and prohibited the worst practices outright.
- An overlay can be undone. Adopting a framework is not a permanent commitment.
How I’ll communicate going forward
Official City updates now go through the new city website, linnvalley.gov, where you can sign up for text and email notices, with important items also sent by mail. Council meetings remain on YouTube, and this TAI information site continues to carry the sourced background, concerns, and the draft ordinance. I’m stepping back from social media as an official channel in favor of these direct, on-the-record lines.
None of this is decided, and none of it happens quietly. Every meaningful step runs through the public process. My commitment is to keep the facts here current and to keep the conversation in the open. If you have questions, reach out.