Trenton withdraws request to annex land for data center. What's next?
The City of Trenton has withdrawn its request to annex 600 acres for an Amazon data center, at least until after a November 3rd election where voters will decide on a ban for large data centers. If the ban passes, Amazon Web Services may pursue development through Madison and St. Clair townships, both of which have existing or recently enacted data center moratoriums.
The City of Trenton, Ohio, has temporarily abandoned its efforts to annex 600 acres of land from Madison and St. Clair townships, a move intended to facilitate a new Amazon Web Services data center. City Attorney Nick Ziepfel notified Butler County administrator Judi Boyko of the withdrawal, stating that Trenton reserves the right to refile the petition in the future.
This decision comes ahead of a crucial November 3rd election, where Trenton voters will decide on a charter amendment to ban data centers exceeding 25 megawatts within the city limits. The withdrawal allows both Trenton and Amazon Web Services to understand the election outcome before proceeding. The Butler County Commission acknowledged and approved Trenton's withdrawal during a scheduled public hearing.
Should the ban pass, Amazon Web Services may explore developing the data center directly within Madison and St. Clair townships. However, St. Clair Township enacted a 12-month moratorium on data centers in May and possesses its own zoning regulations. Madison Township, whose zoning is managed by Butler County, is also impacted by a six-month county-wide moratorium on data centers for Madison and five other townships, enacted in June to assess the adequacy of county zoning. Madison Township trustee president Jeff Willoughby emphasized the need for zoning to protect residents from potential noise, traffic, and visibility impacts of data center developments.