St. Joseph County APC recommends rezoning of ~40-acre parcel for data center amid Juday Creek, traffic concerns

St. Joseph County Area Planning Commission members voted April 15 to send APC petition 306425 to the St. Joseph County Council with a favorable recommendation, subject to written commitments, to rezone about a 38–40 acre parcel on the south side of Cleveland Road from agricultural to industrial to allow development consistent with a proposed data center. The motion, made by Dr. Lauck and seconded by DJ Tavernier, passed in roll call 6–1 (one No).

The recommendation matters because the parcel sits amid recently rezoned industrial properties, abuts major roadways and utilities, and lies within the county’s adopted comprehensive plan land-use designation for a business/technology park. Opponents at the hearing urged stronger environmental protections for Juday Creek, called for clearer long-term land-use limits and warned of increased traffic and loss of agricultural land.

Sean Klein, Area Plan Commission staff, summarized the petition on behalf of Heritage Land Operations LLC and said the subject parcel is surrounded on three sides by industrial zoning and lies near property rezoned last year for data-center use. Klein noted the parcel’s proximity to the Indiana Toll Road, existing pipeline and powerline easements, and the county engineer’s requirement for a traffic impact study if direct access to Cleveland Road is sought. He recommended forwarding the petition favorably subject to the written commitments the petitioner offered.

Angela Smith of Dan Turner & Associates, representing the petitioner, described the site as an “island” of agricultural zoning left inside a larger industrial area and said the petitioner offered written commitments identical to those approved…