Morgan County commissioners voted to approve Ordinance 2025-12 on Oct. 6, a proposal to add about 158 acres to a planned-unit development (PUD) for a data-center and light-industrial campus near Keller Hill Road and State Road 42 in the Monrovia area. The vote followed more than two hours of public comment at a county meeting where dozens of residents voiced opposition and asked the board to delay action.

The rezoning request was presented to the commissioners by attorney Joe Calderon of Barnes & Thornburg, who said the application mirrors a PUD the county approved in February and that the property lies within a high-intensity area of the county's comprehensive plan. Calderon said the proposal includes mitigation measures, including a 65-decibel maximum at the property line and enhanced screening along Keller Hill Road, with berms 10–15 feet high. "We have proposed an ordinance that matches all the exact same parameters as the PUD ordinance that you all passed last February, including the maximum noise level at the property line of 65 decibels," Calderon told the board.

Why it matters: Residents and local officials said the project could affect private wells, traffic, the school district, and property values, and several speakers asked for time to review documents they said had been withheld under non‑disclosure agreements. Speakers repeatedly asked for independent studies, annual noise testing and baseline water-quality and water‑level monitoring for nearby wells.

Speakers pressed the county over noise and water. Matt Stipula, an engineer with EMHT who addressed technical questions for the petitioner, told the commissioners that the 65 dBA model "is with the emergency generators running" and that, if the project used water‑cooled systems, peak cooling demand on a hot day could be on the order of "1 to 3,000,000 gallons per day per building" — a figure he said would require municipal supply rather than wells. "That would be on the hottest day of the year, all systems running," he said.

Residents who live adjacent to the proposed site expressed alarm. Bruce McLean, who said his home at 1360 West Keller Hill Road would be surrounded if the zoning were approved, told the board: "I will literally be surrounded by it." Laura Johnson, a third‑generation landowner, told commissioners: "The needs of many outweigh the needs of the few," and urged them to preserve Monrovia's small‑town character. Other speakers warned of constant generator noise and cited examples from other jurisdictions; Penny Johnson said historical data show some facilities operate "up to 96 decibels." Several requested a continuance to investigate newly raised concerns about potential relationships among local actors and the petitioners.

Process and technical details discussed at the hearing: The plan commission forwarded the petition with a 5–2 recommendation. Petitioners told the county that construction and operations could use either water‑cooled or air‑cooled systems; air‑cooled systems would use more electricity but far less water. Petitioners said the site has a 375 kV line nearby and that AES/Indiana Power would be the likely power provider. Petitioners and consultants also said initial buildings would likely ramp up power and water usage over time rather than begin at full capacity.

County reaction and vote: Commissioners debated whether to delay and seek additional studies but noted prior approvals on adjacent parcels. After discussion, a motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-12 passed by a 2–1 vote. The board did not identify detailed mitigation or monitoring requirements in the ordinance text before passage; commissioners and residents discussed pursuing conditions such as routine noise testing, construction‑hour limits, dust controls and baseline well testing, but the ordinance was approved without a separate, detailed mitigation schedule attached at the meeting.

What remains unresolved: Residents asked specifically for (a) baseline water‑quality and well‑yield studies paid for by the developer, (b) mandatory annual noise testing under worst‑case conditions, (c) enforceable dust and construction‑hour controls, and (d) clear, written commitments about where wastewater and cooling water would be sourced and managed. Petitioners said some of those details depend on later design decisions and availability of municipal water, and that an air‑cooled design would be used if sufficient public water is not available.

The county's next steps: The commissioners approved the ordinance at the meeting. Several residents said they plan legal challenges and further public advocacy; others asked the county to negotiate specific monitoring or community‑benefit measures. Several speakers also asked the county to make relevant documents and correspondence public and to clarify the role of NDAs in the negotiation process.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance 2025-12 (rezoning to expand PUD for data center and light industrial uses) — approved by the Morgan County Board of Commissioners, vote tally 2 yes, 1 no. (The meeting transcript records the motion, second, and a board majority voting "aye"; individual roll‑call at the meeting was not recorded with each commissioner name and vote in the transcript.)

The meeting drew a large public turnout and extended public testimony; commissioners said they heard residents' concerns and will monitor implementation as the project proceeds.