Lawsuit seeks to halt Wilmington meeting on proposed Amazon data center

Jessica and Logan Sharp, residents of Wilmington, Ohio, have initiated legal action in Clinton County Common Pleas Court against the city, seeking to prevent a special planning commission meeting scheduled to review a proposed Amazon data center. The couple, whose home abuts the development site, alleges that the city provided insufficient public notice for the March 25 meeting, preventing them from adequately reviewing extensive technical documents and preparing testimony. They contend that the two-day notice and lack of public comment opportunity violate both the U.S. and Ohio constitutions, as well as the state's Open Meetings Act. The proposed data center, slated for hundreds of acres of farmland south of Wilmington, has sparked considerable community concern regarding potential impacts on noise, traffic, water consumption, and the environment. Residents previously voiced these issues at a January planning commission hearing, leading commissioners to postpone a decision and request additional information from the developer. The Sharps' lawsuit highlights ongoing tensions in communities nationwide over large data center projects, particularly concerning transparency and local input. They are requesting a temporary restraining order to halt the meeting and a permanent injunction ensuring future compliance with public notice requirements. As of the article's publication, a judge had not yet ruled on the emergency relief request.