Mayor says city will stop pursuing proposed data center after developer met public without local coordination

The Mayor of Mansfield, Ohio, informed the City Council caucus that the city has decided to cease pursuing a proposed data center project with developer Energy Acres. This decision comes after Energy Acres held a public meeting regarding the project without prior coordination with local officials, signaling a lack of alignment between the developer and the city. The mayor's prepared statement highlighted that the project, initially conceived as smaller, grew significantly in scale and complexity. The city had sought more coordinated responses from Energy Acres, and the developer's independent public outreach demonstrated a lack of critical partnership. Public comment during the meeting revealed substantial community concerns. Residents like Sherry Ramsey voiced fears about potential impacts on air quality and health, particularly for individuals with respiratory conditions. Pamela Taylor raised alarms about the substantial water usage of data centers and the risk of groundwater contamination from cooling system chemicals. Tammy McQuillan urged the council to consider a temporary moratorium to allow for comprehensive studies into the project's economic and environmental effects, referencing similar actions taken by other Ohio communities. The mayor emphasized that large-scale projects must be thoroughly vetted and aligned with community interests before proceeding, underscoring the city's commitment to careful development.