The Lead Off
- Huntington County residents spoke out Wednesday as the county Plan Commission began developing rules for future data center projects.
- The commission selected a starting option for an ordinance that would determine how and where data centers could be permitted.
- County officials say a finalized ordinance is expected by the end of the year, with another public discussion scheduled for August.
Huntington County considers framework for future data centers
HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WOWO) Huntington County residents gathered Wednesday at the county courthouse to comment on a proposed ordinance that would establish rules for future data center development.
The Huntington County Plan Commission held the meeting to collect public input as it works with attorney Tim Ochs of Ice Miller to draft the ordinance.
Most residents who attended the meeting spoke against allowing future data center projects in the county according to 21-Alive.
Additional residents watched the discussion through a livestream set up in another area of the courthouse.
Plan Commission selects ordinance starting point
The Plan Commission said the purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback and help guide the drafting process.
Ochs provided the commission with four possible approaches for regulating data centers, ranging from the least restrictive permitting option to the most restrictive.
The options included:
- Allowing data centers within existing zoning districts, such as industrial or manufacturing areas.
- Creating a separate zoning category specifically for data centers.
- Allowing data centers under existing or new zoning rules with additional approval requirements from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
- Creating an overlay zoning district where data centers would only be permitted on specifically identified properties.
The commission selected the first option as the starting point for the ordinance, which would allow data centers in existing zoning districts.
Residents raise concerns about proposal language
Some residents questioned the direction chosen by the commission and expressed concerns about language included in the attorney’s recommendations.
David MacDonald, a Huntington County resident, said he was concerned about wording that could allow changes to the ordinance in the future.
“I don’t think we should have done anything (…) I think it’s sentence 3 in that pamphlet they gave us; it still says ‘tweaks and variations can be made,’” MacDonald said. “Any attorney will tell you, if you look at a legal document, if it says tweaks and variations… They’re saying they’re only going to approve closed-loop; well, a tweak could be ‘we’re not going closed-loop anymore.’”
Residents at the meeting raised questions about how future revisions could affect requirements placed on potential data center projects.
County officials continue ordinance process
County leaders said they expect to have a completed version of the data center ordinance by the end of the year.
The Plan Commission’s next meeting on the issue is scheduled for Aug. 12, and public comment is included on the agenda.
Officials will continue reviewing feedback as the ordinance moves through the drafting process.
The Takeaway
- Huntington County’s Plan Commission is working on an ordinance that would establish rules for future data center development in the county.
- Residents attending Wednesday’s meeting largely opposed future data center projects and questioned the proposed regulatory approach.
- The commission selected an initial framework for drafting the ordinance, with a finalized version expected by the end of the year.
