Lorain County residents are fighting plans for development. Officials intend to push forward

Residents of New Russia Township in Lorain County, Ohio, are actively opposing a proposed "mega site" development, expressing fears that the 1,000-acre project near the Lorain County Airport could ultimately become a low-employment, high-polluting data center. The New Russia Township Board of Trustees recently voted against rezoning an additional 622 acres of farmland for the development, a decision lauded by residents like Kim Polen and Andrea Barlow, who are deeply concerned about preserving their rural community and farms. Despite this local setback, Lorain County Commissioners, including David Moore, Jeff Riddell, and Marty Gallagher, are pushing forward with the broader development plans, having secured $67 million in state grants for sewer upgrades, which they intend to complete. Economic development agency Team NEO, working with Liberty Development Company, aims to attract high-tech manufacturers, not data centers, to the site. However, residents, supported by county commissioner candidate Will Schlechter, remain skeptical, pointing to the general increase in data center development in Ohio driven by AI and its potential drawbacks, such as increased energy rates, reliance on diesel generators, and high water demand. The Ohio EPA is also considering revisions to its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, which environmental advocates fear could allow data centers to discharge untreated wastewater. Marshall Simms, a fifth-generation farmer whose 40 acres are within the proposed site, reluctantly agreed to turn over his land due to the surrounding development. Residents in neighboring Adams and Brown counties have also introduced a petition to amend Ohio’s constitution to restrict data center development, indicating a broader opposition movement. Townships like Brownhelm and Henrietta, located along the proposed sewer line, are reevaluating their zoning to control future growth, highlighting the ongoing tension between economic development and community preservation in rural Ohio.