Sunbury residents submit petition to place proposed Amazon data center on ballot
Residents in Sunbury, Ohio, have submitted a petition with 450 signatures to force a public vote on a proposed $2 billion Amazon mega data center project. They aim to get the project on the November ballot, citing concerns about its proximity to schools and homes, as well as noise, water, electricity consumption, and pollution impacts. The city had previously zoned the land for Limited Industrial use and enacted a moratorium to study the project's potential effects.
Residents in Sunbury, Ohio, are actively opposing a proposed $2 billion Amazon mega data center, seeking to place the project on the November ballot for a public vote. A group of residents delivered 450 signatures to the City of Sunbury, significantly exceeding the 172 required to force the issue onto the ballot. Their goal is to have voters reject the plan, which they believe is unsuitable for its location.
The proposed data center, slated for over 1300 acres off Van's Valley Road, faces opposition due to its proximity to existing schools and homes. Concerns raised by residents, including Larry Toti who lives near the site, include three years of heavy construction, continuous lighting, constant humming noise, and potential pollution from numerous diesel generators storing over 100,000 gallons of fuel. Critics argue that the site is simply the "wrong spot" for such a massive facility.
While Amazon states the project would create 50 jobs paying $90,000 annually, the city had previously zoned the land for Limited Industrial use in 2023 under an agreement that includes tax abatements: 87.5% for the first 15 years and 75% for the subsequent 15 years, with the remaining portion benefiting schools. Due to the significant concerns, the city had placed a moratorium on the project to further study its potential impacts. The Board of Elections must now certify the submitted signatures before the measure can proceed to the ballot.