Why Butler County leaders cannot block data centers

Residents in Trenton, Ohio, are actively opposing the rapid development of data centers, specifically urging Butler County commissioners to enact a moratorium following the Trenton Plan Commission's approval of a large Prologis data center site plan. Community members, including Barry Blankenship, expressed concerns about health, environment, noise, traffic, water usage, and the electrical grid impact, emphasizing the need for a pause to study regional effects. They feel the county should protect citizens across jurisdictional boundaries. Despite residents' pleas, Butler County Commissioner Don Dixon indicated the county's limited power to intervene in local zoning matters, as confirmed by Adam Schwiebert, managing director of policy for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. Ohio law typically grants zoning authority to municipalities and townships, not counties, except in specific unincorporated areas. Trenton City Manager Marcos Nichols stated the city does not typically engage with neighboring entities for private economic development projects and believes the data center will benefit the city's tax base. Meanwhile, statewide efforts are underway to address data center proliferation. The Ohio House unanimously passed House Bill 646, which proposes a 13-member commission to study the economic and environmental impacts of data centers and submit recommendations within six months. Separately, a more drastic measure is being pursued by citizens to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would ban data centers statewide, requiring over 400,000 signatures by July 1. Melinda Zemper of Save Ohio Parks supports these state-level actions, highlighting health concerns.