Ohio village residents are raising concerns about a proposed data center project
Residents in Mount Orab, Ohio, are actively opposing a proposed data center project and a 'high-tech overlay' zoning change designed to regulate such developments. They are urging village leaders to ban data centers outright or clarify if existing 1969 zoning laws are sufficient to prevent them. The Planning Commission is working on a revised overlay proposal, but residents remain dissatisfied.
Residents of Mount Orab, Brown County, Ohio, are expressing strong opposition to a proposed data center and the village's efforts to institute a "high-tech overlay" zoning regulation. This overlay, intended to regulate various projects including data centers, is the village's second attempt after a previous version was declared void.
During a recent meeting, residents questioned why the village could not simply ban data centers outright and voiced concerns about the lack of penalties for violating proposed restrictions. They also repeatedly requested a legal opinion on whether existing zoning laws from 1969 are sufficient to restrict data centers, negating the need for the new overlay. Residents emphasized their commitment to their way of life, stating, "We're exhausted. This is home. We're not going to go away. This is the fight of our lives."
Planning Commission member Mike Kirk was credited for expanding the high-tech overlay proposal from a page and a half to nearly a dozen pages, incorporating more stringent restrictions on data centers. These include smaller building heights, reduced parking, prohibitions on late-night generator use, and rules for company payments if a site is abandoned. However, a significant loose end from the meeting was the absence of a map for the proposed overlay, and commissioners could not provide clear answers on the land to be included. The current draft is not final and will require several more meetings before it is ready for consideration by the village council and the public.