Oppose 250‑ft Setbacks for Data Centers

They Repeat the Same Mistakes as 5‑Acre House Lot Minimums

What our 5‑acre minimum for house lots has taught us

Sprawl: pushes growth farther out, increasing travel and infrastructure costs.
Land waste: forces huge non‑productive setbacks and gaps between houses.
Higher prices: fewer usable house sites → higher costs → fewer homes.
Add little to no value to our community

Those same unintended consequences will happen if we impose 250‑foot setbacks on data centers, a land use that is quieter and cleaner than many standard I‑3 industries.

I‑3 uses versus Data Centers

Impact	Typical for I‑3 (quarry, paper, chemicals, trucking)	Data center
Dust/Noise	Higher	Lower
Odor/Emissions	Higher	Lower
Traffic	`Heavier`	Light
Fire/Explosion Risk	Higher	Lower

Yet data centers are being saddled with far larger setbacks than the more impactful land uses already in I3.

Setbacks waste land

Use this tool to appreciate how much Mason County land will be lost to excessive setbacks

Setback Calculator

Choose a site size and a setback option. See buildable area and land lost.

Site size:

Setbacks: Standard I-3 (Front 100′, Sides/Rear 50′) 250′ all around Custom (uniform slider)

Uniform setback on all sides: 250′ (50–1000′)

Site width (ft) Site depth (ft)

Standard I-3 example: Front 100′ Sides 50′ Rear 50′ Proposed DC example: 250′ each side

100.00 ac

Total site area

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Buildable after setbacks

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Land lost (ac & %)

Notes: Buildable width = width − (left + right setbacks). Buildable depth = depth − (front + rear setbacks). If either ≤ 0, buildable area is 0.00 ac (100% lost).

Every extra foot of setback is land that can’t be used productively.

At 250 feet on all sides, an acre here or there doesn’t sound like much—until you realize how fast it adds up. On a 500-acre property, that can mean tens of acres lost—land that could have generated lease payments for a local family, payroll for technicians, and tax revenue for schools and roads.

Those losses don’t protect Mason County—they just make us less competitive.

Let’s be honest: some of the loudest voices calling for “bigger setbacks” are the same ones that openly say their goal is to block data centers, and don’t depend on their land to make a living. They’re trying to freeze their neighbor’s landscape to protect their own view, not preserve opportunity for others.

Farm families and property owners who rely on their land for income deserve the freedom to adapt—to lease, sell, or develop responsibly under fair rules.

It’s not about changing the county’s character; it’s about keeping it alive.