Trumbull County council leaders issue moratorium halting plans for data center
Community members across Ohio have been voicing their opinions about data centers, including voters in and around the Mahoning Valley.
A statewide petition started by Conserve Ohio is circulating for a constitutional amendment to stop the construction of massive data centers exceeding 25 megawatts.
Citizens lined up in April and May at the Cadence Coffee Shop and Creperie in Niles to sign this petition as well as check voter registration ahead of the primary election, according to Good Trouble Trumbull.
The event was sponsored by Kristin Jane, Conserve Ohio and Ohio Residents for Responsible Development, the grassroots groups who introduced the petitions for the amendment.
On April 20, the city of Niles announced that it would take no further action regarding a proposed annexation request submitted by Whitetail Creek LLC in regards to building a data center.
According to Niles city councilman-at-large Jimmy Julian, the developer was seeking to bring property from Weathersfield township into Niles in order to develop a data center.
“Over the past few weeks, our community has spoken and we’ve been listening...As a council and the administration, we have decided to halt all annexation talks regarding the property on Belmont Avenue, reflecting the clear sentiment expressed by our community,” Julian wrote online.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office allows township trustees to impose temporary moratoriums on specified type of developments. These moratoriums are placed to give officials time to study the issues, evaluate land use issues, consider and/or adopt any zoning regulations.
In a press release, the council says the city of Niles will continue with a “moratorium, pausing any future data center permitting while specific data center zoning is explored.”
The Weathersfield Township Board of Trustees met on April 30 and unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on proposals related to data centers within the township.
According to the agenda for the meeting, the board identified significant and legitimate concerns about data center developments and their possible effects on the health, safety and welfare of residents.
The board recognized in the agenda that residents have expressed concerns and opposition to data center developments. The board introduced the moratorium to give the township’s zoning commission enough time to conduct “a comprehensive review of data center impacts.”
The board also wants the zoning commission to develop and recommend appropriate zoning amendments, restrictions or prohibitions on data centers in the township.
