Two Urbana residents start petitions in response to data center dispute

Residents of Urbana, Ohio, are taking action in response to a proposed data center by Thor Equities and the city's handling of the development. Two separate petitions have been launched, spearheaded by local residents Nicole Nawman and James Cropper.

Nawman's petition aims to amend Urbana's city charter to prohibit hyperscale data centers within the city limits, a measure that would require voter approval and could only be reversed by another ballot issue. The petition, which began on July 7, has already collected enough signatures and has been submitted to the Champaign County Board of Elections for validity checks. Nawman, who lives near the proposed Urbana Technology Hub site, also serves as a lead organizer for the Conserve Ohio campaign, which advocates for a statewide data center ban.

Cropper's petition seeks to recall Urbana Mayor Bill Bean, citing resident complaints about the city administration's alleged lack of transparency regarding the data center proposal. This petition, also launched on July 7, has gathered over half the necessary signatures. Cropper pointed to multiple lawsuits against the city under Bean's administration, including an appeal and a federal lawsuit filed by Thor Equities, and the recent resignation of Urbana's city law director, as reasons for the recall effort.

These resident actions follow decisions by the Urbana City Council to change zoning codes and implement a 12-month pause on data center construction after Thor Equities submitted its site plan. In response, Thor Equities has filed a lawsuit, claiming over $19 million in development expenses and projecting $3 million in annual tax revenue for the city. Mayor Bean could not be reached for comment, and several city council members declined or did not respond by the deadline.