Urbana residents hold public meeting to discuss proposed data center project

Residents of Urbana, Ohio, gathered at the Champaign County Fairgrounds for a public meeting to discuss a proposed data center project in the city's southern area. The meeting, organized by community members following the cancellation of a city council meeting, aimed to review recent developments, share information, and strategize future actions against the project. Key potential actions discussed included advocating for a statewide petition to implement a data center ban on the November ballot and urging the Urbana City Council to enact an ordinance that would repeal recent zoning changes associated with the project. Other ideas considered by attendees involved local initiative petitions, recall petitions for city council members and the mayor, and pursuing legal action over zoning concerns. Organizers also provided guidance on how residents could stay engaged, suggesting participation in public forums such as city council, county commission, planning commission, and zoning appeals meetings. They encouraged contacting local officials, signing petitions, educating neighbors, and actively participating in public discussions. No official decisions were made at the gathering, which showcased a variety of viewpoints and proposed tactics from those present.