A stretch of unincorporated land between Walford and Fairfax is drawing fresh attention from data center developers, and local officials are moving to make sure they aren’t left out of the conversation. The pull is a high-voltage transmission line running between the two small Linn County towns, and it’s already brought at least one developer knocking on Walford’s door.
According to Radio Iowa, developers are eyeing a new area in unincorporated Linn County, and that high-voltage line is a major reason why. A potential developer already approached Walford about a project within the unincorporated area but near the city’s boundaries — and notably, the developer did not want to pursue annexation into the city itself.
That detail matters because it leaves the project under the county’s jurisdiction rather than Walford’s own zoning rules, prompting city officials to seek a different kind of leverage. Walford wants an agreement governing review of projects that could affect its future growth, and officials there have approached Linn County about a fringe-area arrangement, the station’s report notes. Linn County is supportive of the idea, and the proposed agreement would apply to data center construction on county land within two miles of Walford.
Fairfax Weighs Joining the Arrangement
Fairfax is also interested in joining the arrangement, and the two towns appear to want residents to have a voice in how data center development unfolds nearby, per the same account. A separate report from citizenportal.ai indicates the Fairfax City Council discussed whether to participate, asked for example agreements from similar arrangements, and invited input from Walford and Linn County at a follow-up work session…