Botkins Plans Data Center Ban

The village of Botkins, Ohio, is proactively addressing the "hot button issue" of data centers by planning to ban them as part of a comprehensive zoning code update. According to Mayor Lance Symonds, the village's zoning codes were "woefully out of date," prompting a year-long review and revision process. The Botkins village council has already conducted the first reading of the proposed legislation to prohibit data centers within the village. This measure is a preventative step, as Symonds confirmed that the village has not been contacted by any data center developers or outside agencies expressing interest in building there. The legislation is scheduled for two more readings before the city council, followed by a review by the zoning board, prior to its potential passage.