Proposed data center zoning rules pass initial hurdle in Indianapolis

A special zoning class for data centers passed its first hurdle Wednesday when Indianapolis’ Metropolitan Development Commission voted 5 to 3 to recommend the rules. The commission did not bend to residents’ requests to spend more time developing the plan. The ordinance is intended to regulate where data centers can be built in Marion County, how close they can sit to homes and how much noise they can generate. Heather Street, a resident of Irvington, where a new data center has been proposed, said that she’s disappointed after the vote. "​​I feel like people are trying not to cry, or they're like really angry right now, and so it's hard because you want to be optimistic every time you interact with government, and a lot of times it doesn't go how it probably should," Street said. Data centers have been a wildly controversial issue in Indiana — largely because of concerns over water and energy consumption and the fast-paced expansion of the developments in the Midwest. The ordinance now heads to the full city-county council. READ MORE on wfyi.org REPORTING: Farrah Anderson #WFYI #Indianapolis #DataCenters