Council committee sends 38-acre Cleveland Road rezoning for data center to full council with favorable recommendation

The Land Use Planning Committee voted to send a rezoning petition for roughly 38 acres on Cleveland Road to the full St. Joseph County Council with a favorable recommendation.

Sean Klein, director of the Area Planning Commission, told the committee the parcel — southwest of the existing data center site and under 40 acres — was proposed to be rezoned from agricultural to industrial to allow a contiguous data center project. Klein said the site is consistent with the county comprehensive plan’s future land-use designation for light industrial or business-technology uses and noted the commission recommended approval by a 6–1 vote.

The petitioner, Angela Smith of Dan Turner Associates, said the land has been farmed and ‘‘has marginal use as agriculture’’ because of soils and the surrounding industrial development. The petitioner voluntarily offered written commitments restricting heavy industrial uses, requiring a traffic study, preserving a 200-foot green space buffer along Juday Creek in the broader development and meeting all wetland and floodplain requirements.

Committee members discussed potential effects on nearby rural character. Councilman Tim Schutzel said constituents value the rural area between Microsoft’s southern boundary and northern industry and noted the parcel is not south of Microsoft’s southern boundary; Sean Klein confirmed the parcel is surrounded on three sides by property rezoned for data center use.

The committee motion to send Bill 30-25 forward passed with one recorded nay; the measure goes to the full council for final action.

Ending: The rezoning will be considered by the full council at its next regular meeting; the Area Plan Commission and petitioner noted further required local approvals include county engineer sign-off on access, adherence to county drainage standards and a required traffic study.