Op-ed urges Delaware County and Muncie to adopt a 12-month data center moratorium
Community activist Sheryl Swingley argues that Delaware County and Muncie should adopt a 12-month pause on data center development while officials improve planning, zoning rules and public transparency. The opinion piece cites rumors of potential interest in a site at the Model Aviation Museum and concerns about utility costs, environmental impacts and farmland conversion.
Sheryl Swingley, a Delaware County community activist, is urging county commissioners and the Muncie City Council to impose a 12-month moratorium on data center development. She says officials should use the pause to disclose any potential projects, identify suitable development areas, update zoning rules and obtain independent impact studies with public input.
The proposal follows conflicting statements from Commissioner Stephen Brand about whether companies are interested in building data centers in the county, as well as rumors of a possible facility at the Model Aviation Museum property. Swingley also raises concerns about utility affordability, environmental health, farmland consumption and the financial risks of large data center projects while Delaware County and Muncie review their Unified Development Ordinance.