Developer appeals for new data center in northeast Ohio community
A developer is appealing a denied zoning request for a data center in Amherst, Ohio. Residents are actively opposing the project due to concerns about its location in a neighborhood and potential impacts on electricity and water infrastructure. The city's zoning board of appeals is currently considering the variance request.
Amherst, Ohio is grappling with a proposed data center development by Cervenka Development Partners, facing significant local opposition. The city's building department initially denied the developer's request to repurpose an an industrial building for a data center, prompting an appeal to the city's zoning board of appeals.
Residents like Scott Douglass have voiced strong objections, citing concerns about the data center's proximity to residential areas and the strain it could place on local infrastructure, particularly electricity and water, given recent power outages and new housing developments. During a public meeting, dozens of residents spoke against the project.
Tom Cervenka, representing the developer, presented arguments to the appeals board for a "use variance" to include data centers as a permitted use under current zoning, emphasizing the difficulty of re-occupying the property for other industrial uses. He indicated that concerns regarding noise, water, and electricity would be addressed later before the planning commission. The developer still requires further approvals from city council and other municipal boards even if the variance is granted. The zoning board has 14 days to render its decision.