Portage Weighs New Zoning Rules For Future Data Center Development
The Portage City Council is considering new zoning rules that would significantly restrict future data center development by creating a dedicated "technology campus" district and removing data centers from existing zoning classifications. The proposal has received its first reading after a favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission, with residents raising concerns about environmental impacts. The ordinance aims to establish development standards before specific data center proposals are submitted.
The Portage City Council in Indiana has begun considering a new zoning ordinance aimed at significantly limiting future data center development within the city. The proposed ordinance would establish a new "technology campus" zoning district for data centers, effectively removing them from the four existing zoning classifications where they are currently permitted as warehouses.
Mayor Austin Bonta stated that the ordinance is a direct response to increasing interest in data center projects across Northwest Indiana, which have often sparked considerable public debate. The proposal, which received a unanimous favorable recommendation from the Portage Plan Commission before its first reading by the City Council on July 7, seeks to proactively set development standards.
During the council meeting, several residents voiced concerns and urged caution. One speaker advocated for an outright prohibition of new data centers, citing potential environmental impacts on the community's lakefront. Another Plan Commission member clarified that the ordinance is not an approval of any specific project but a framework to establish requirements for setbacks, buffering, landscaping, lighting, noise, and closed-loop cooling systems to mitigate water consumption. The council took no further action beyond the initial reading, with Mayor Bonta emphasizing the proposal's regulatory nature rather than an authorization of construction.