The Franklin County Rural Coalition brings residents together to protect rural land, water, wildlife, and quality of life for past, present and future generations.
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Current Initiatives
Legal Representation
Franklin County Rural Coalition is being represented by Great Rivers Environmental Law Center - https://greatriverslaw.org/
Town Hall 3-1-2026
Franklin County Rural Coalition's had a great turnout at their first town hall meeting at Franklin County Baptist Association.
Public Awareness
Franklin County Rural Coalition was formed and the community unites to expand the reach of awareness as this does not just effect direct neighbors, the city, the county but all surrounding communities. Without real answers and specific plans we are left with comparing to cities that have similar experiences that has raised concern with power, water, and pollution.
Elliot Davis joined a small local group in Pacific, MO to spread the word on the lack of transparency of the plans.
Click Here to view post.
Franklin County now facing 2 Data Center proposals!
Two days after the Franklin County Planning and Zoning Commission tabled a proposed data center in Villa Ridge for six months, a concerned citizen mailed letters to nearby residents stating that the neighboring farm had begun the process of annexing the property for potential sale as a data center site.
On Tuesday, January 27, a $16 billion data park was formally proposed, raising significant questions within the community.
How it Started
In early 2026, Franklin County, Missouri residents learned that more than 600 acres of generational farmland, located in Villa Ridge were slated for rezoning to make way for a large-scale data center.
The community was given less than a week to respond. There was no broad public awareness. No meaningful outreach. No real time for families to understand what was being proposed. But neighbors showed up anyway.
In the span of days, word spread across Franklin County. Farmers, parents, retirees, and lifelong residents packed the Franklin County Planning & Zoning meeting, many attending a county meeting for the first time in their lives.
What united us was simple:
Industrial-scale data centers do not belong on our rural land, and they do not belong in Franklin County.
This land is not empty acreage. It is generational farmland. It is wildlife habitat. It holds our water resources. It supports families, animals, and ecosystems that cannot simply be replaced once paved over. Out of that meeting, the Franklin County Rural Coalition was formed. We stand in opposition to industrial-scale data center development in Franklin County. We are advocating for transparency, accountability, and land-use decisions that protect our land, water, wildlife, infrastructure, and quality of life - for past, present, and future generations.
Donations
Anyone donating should click: dedicate this gift: in honor of: Franklin County Rural Coalition
We are ready to accept donations! We have secured Great Rivers Environmental Law as our fiscal sponsor and they will be accepting and holding donation money on our behalf.
WHY did we choose this option?
1) We are essentially a not-for-profit, but that takes time to set up and we simply don't have it. Creating an LLC would be fast, but because those are typically for profit organizations, we don't want any tax problems later on or questions about where the money went.
2) As our Legal Counsel for this matter, Great Rivers Environmental Law will hire any experts or secure any studies or reports on our behalf. It will streamline the payment process.
3) Great Rivers Environmental Law is a 501(c)(3), so any donation you give is fully tax deductible for YOU!
Ready to donate to help in this fight against data centers in Franklin County?
* Once you choose your donation amount, check mark the box for "Dedicate this Gift" and then select "In Honor Of".
* Add "Franklin County Rural Coalition" in the recognize line.
Thank you for your help and support -- Let's go get 'em!
Follow Us
We are a group of residents, voters, and natives to the area who are active in local, state, and federal initiatives to appropriately regulate Big Tech in an effort to keep our communities safe, healthy, and accountable.
We update this platform to keep the public informed with the latest communications on data center proposals in the county; and the region at large.
Follow us on social media and interact with our content so we might expand our reach and ensure that all voices in Franklin County are documented and heard.