Weathersfield Trustees Say Zoning Doesn’t Allow Data Center

The Weathersfield Township Board of Trustees has publicly stated that the land identified by Bitdeer for a proposed data center is not appropriately zoned for such a facility. The trustees referenced their Industrial B zoning regulations, which do not permit or conditionally permit data centers in the district. Furthermore, no formal development proposals have been submitted to the township by Bitdeer. Bitdeer, a company based in Singapore, intends to develop a new data center on property that formerly housed the Niles Power Plant. To navigate the zoning restrictions, Bitdeer has initiated a petition to annex the parcels currently within Weathersfield into the city of Niles. If approved, this annexation would transfer all zoning and development decision-making authority to Niles. The Weathersfield Township is actively opposing this annexation and potential development. Trustees have vowed to pursue "all available measures" to ensure the development does not negatively impact their community, including negotiating a pre-annexation agreement with Niles. This agreement would establish enforceable protections concerning land use compatibility, infrastructure, environmental considerations, public safety, and quality of life. Property transaction records from the Trumbull County auditor's office indicate that Bitdeer's Ohio subsidiary, White Tail Creek LLC, acquired 42.6 acres across Niles and Weathersfield for $3.4 million in May 2025. Bitdeer's recent operational update outlines plans to commission 300 megawatts of high-performance computing and AI capacity at the site by the fourth quarter of 2028. Concurrently, the Niles City Council has scheduled a public meeting for May 20 to discuss a potential moratorium on data center construction.