By Burt Mummolo, FOX23.com News Staff
OSAGE COUNTY, Okla. — The land at the heart of plans for a data center in Sand Springs was in court on Wednesday in the latest chapter of the ongoing battle determining whether or not the project can move forward.
“The judge seemed receptive to us,” said Michael Patton of Land Legacy, the organization that has a conservation easement on 270 acres of the 780 acre property. “This case is a fairly simple case. The landowner does not have a right to build an industrial park there.”
Wednesday’s court hearing was a motion to dismiss the case put forward by the property owner.
Patton explained, “Today they asked for the case to be dismissed. Pretty standard thing in cases like this.”
Community activist Kyle Schmidt attended the hearing and said he was confident once it ended.
“I’m very optimistic,” Schmidt said. “I’m confident that the motion to dismiss will be quashed and we’ll proceed to trial. I’m really confident in Land Legacy’s stance and ability to win this case at trial.”
Patton said this is an issue many locals feel strongly about.
“The data centers have invoked a real passion in people.”
Patton is hopeful the judge will issue his ruling on the motion by Monday.
“If we prevail, Google will have to go somewhere else for a data center.”
FOX23 has reached out to attorneys for the property owner, but have not yet received a reply.
