Weathersfield Township Trustees place moratorium on approving data center

Weathersfield Township Trustees in Ohio have unanimously voted to impose a six-month moratorium on building, zoning, or approval of data centers within the township. Chairman Steven Gerberry read a four-page resolution outlining the reasons for the immediate action, citing concerns about preventing the establishment of uses that may be incompatible with the township's long-term planning objectives. The moratorium was prompted by plans from Bitdeer, a company based in Singapore, to construct a data center on Belmont Avenue in Weathersfield Township, on the site of a former Ohio Edison power plant. The trustees noted that Bitdeer has not yet filed any zoning applications or development plans. The resolution lists several concerns, including potential impacts on the electrical grid, utility costs, the environment, water usage, sanitary sewer and discharge, noise, emissions, and local traffic and infrastructure. Weathersfield resident Jeff Shiley brought up an earlier meeting on April 15th in Niles where Bitdeer representatives announced intentions to annex the property into Niles. Shiley recounted how a Bitdeer representative, when asked what would happen if the land wasn't annexed, emphatically stated, "We're building it anyways." The moratorium mandates that the Weathersfield Zoning Commission conduct a comprehensive review of data centers and develop necessary zoning changes or restrictions to protect the township. The land is currently zoned industrial, but a zoning variance would be required for a data center.