Pataskala residents to vote on whether to ban data centers
Pataskala voters will decide whether to amend the city charter to ban large data centers, following resident concerns about noise, light pollution, utility use and potential health effects. The Pataskala City Council previously rejected an Aligned Data Centers proposal, and the company has asked a judge to review that decision.
Pataskala residents will vote Nov. 3 on a citizen-led charter amendment that would prohibit large data centers, defined on the ballot as facilities with monthly electricity demand of at least 25 megawatts. Organizers gathered enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot, citing concerns about noise, light pollution, utility demand and possible long-term effects on nearby homes and farms.
The proposal follows the Pataskala City Council's August decision to reject an Aligned Data Centers project. Aligned has asked a judge to review the denial as it seeks to keep the project moving, while residents continue to push for a broader ban on data center construction in the city.