The Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission voted Thursday night to recommend denial of a rezoning request tied to the 121-acre Massie Property in west Owensboro after a packed meeting dominated by public concern over potential data center development.
The request sought to rezone the property along the 3500-4300 blocks of West Parrish Avenue from A-R Rural Agriculture and I-1 Light Industrial to I-2 Heavy Industrial for the proposed development of an industrial park.
Planning staff had recommended approval of the rezoning request, citing consistency with the community’s comprehensive plan and the site’s designation within an Industrial Plan Area. The proposal was intended to help position the property for future industrial recruitment and development.
But after roughly two and a half hours of questions, comments, and public testimony, the commission ultimately voted against the request.
Following the meeting, OMPC Executive Director Brian Howard said the commission first considered a motion to approve the rezoning request with staff recommendations with an added condition prohibiting data centers on the property.
“There was a motion to approve with the condition that no data centers be allowed,” Howard said. “That motion failed 5-4.”
Commission members then considered a second motion to deny the rezoning request, which passed by the same margin.
“The motion to deny carried 5-4,” Howard said.
As a result, the requested I-2 Heavy Industrial zoning was not recommended for approval, and the property’s current zoning remains unchanged.
Howard explained that the site remains split between agricultural and light industrial zoning classifications.
He also noted that the planning commission acts only as a recommending body on rezonings, meaning the matter could still be appealed to the Owensboro City Commission, which has final authority over the request.
Thursday’s meeting drew a crowd of more than 75 people, many of whom voiced opposition tied to fears the property could eventually become the site of a data center.
Most of the concern revolved around data centers despite repeated clarification from officials that no such proposal has formally been presented for the property.
Earlier this week, the City of Owensboro released a statement saying there are currently “no active data center projects being considered by the City of Owensboro.”
During a follow-up interview after the meeting, Howard acknowledged that portions of the property are already zoned I-1 Light Industrial after being pressed about whether existing zoning could still allow certain industrial uses on the site.
Howard said more than half of the property already carries I-1 zoning, meaning some industrial uses — including potentially a data center — could still be permissible under the current zoning regulations.
The discussion surrounding the Massie Property came on the same night Daviess County Fiscal Court held a first reading of a proposed ordinance that would place a temporary moratorium on future data center applications in the county while officials study possible regulations and impacts.
If ultimately approved, the ordinance would temporarily pause applications related to data centers, server farms, cloud computing facilities, and similar developments for up to 12 months. The Owensboro City Commission would be able to override the moratorium if a project were to arise within city limits.
The Massie Property was purchased by the City of Owensboro in 2025 as part of a long-term industrial recruitment strategy after local officials said available acreage at the Owensboro AirPark was becoming limited.
Previous discussions by city officials and the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation described the property as a future industrial park intended to help attract economic development projects to the region.
