Federal Judge Orders Wilmington to Redo Key Steps for Amazon Data Center Proposal

A federal judge has issued an order requiring the city of Wilmington, Ohio, to redo critical zoning and public notification procedures related to a proposed $4 billion Amazon data center project. The July 14 order, part of an ongoing federal lawsuit, stipulates that the city cannot proceed with a decision on Amazon's site plan until it redoes ordinances concerning generator noise, rezoning the 471-acre parcel, and establishing data centers as a permitted land use.

Wilmington residents filed the lawsuit in May, alleging that the city failed to provide adequate public notice and conduct proper hearings, as required by Ohio regulations, for three zoning amendments tied to Amazon's development. Plaintiff Jessica Sharp, who lives near the proposed site, welcomed the order, stating it confirms serious defects in the city's public notice process and raises concerns about due process rights. The city council has since scheduled a new public hearing for the affected ordinances on August 20. Amazon Data Services, also a defendant, has not commented.

The project, which includes multiple buildings and an electricity substation, is projected to create at least 100 jobs. Residents' concerns extend beyond transparency issues to include noise pollution, intensive industrial construction impacts on neighbors, and increased local demands for water and electricity. The local group, Wilmington Residents for Responsible Development, is mobilizing to discuss responses to the court order and upcoming ballot initiatives, with families involved in the lawsuit having already spent $54,000 in legal fees.