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 under the prior rezoning for consistency across the development. Smith said a traffic impact study is already underway and that utilities, access points and other site details remain under design. She told the commission, “The comp plan is very clear,” and said the 2045 comprehensive plan designates the area for industrial/business-technology park use.

Bill Shalio, Economic Development director with the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth, spoke in favor, saying adding the 38 acres makes the overall site plan more cohesive and helps long-range planning along the Juday Creek corridor while the infrastructure study proceeds.

Several residents spoke in opposition during the public-comment period. Steve Francis (Jude Lake Drive, Clay Township) warned of a “game of dominoes” in which piecemeal rezonings could expand industrial development eastward and urged a larger planning approach; he also asked for a wider Juday Creek buffer, noting the Juday Creek Task Force had recommended a 300-foot buffer. Charlotte Wolf (Lakeville) said she did not believe data centers deliver enough local jobs to justify infrastructure costs and urged the commission to consider creek restoration and park uses; Mary Peterman (Timothy Road) said the argument “that adjacent properties are already rezoned” is not a valid reason to rezone more farmland.

Smith rebutted that the comprehensive plan — developed over multiple public hearings and adopted by the council — supports industrial use here, that the parcel itself does not touch Juday Creek, and that the petitioner has met with the Juday Creek Task Force and plans ongoing coordination. She noted that more stringent requirements cannot be imposed on a parcel not before the commission beyond the petitioner’s written commitments.

After discussion among commissioners about the boundaries and stopping points for industrial expansion, Dr. Lauck moved to send APC 306425 to the County Council with a favorable recommendation subject to the proposed written commitments; DJ Tavernier seconded. The motion passed on a roll call vote: Yes — Dr. Thacker, Miss Hannan, Dr. Lauck, Miss Kelly, DJ Tavernier, Mr. Devon; No — Mr. Mattsett. The commission’s recommendation will be considered by the County Council, and any final zoning action will be taken there.

Votes at a glance

- APC appointment: Andrew (Andy) Spittles was approved as an alternate on the plat committee. Motion carried on roll call (6–0). (Motion moved by an APC member; second by Eugene Matzat; roll call: Hannan, Lauck, Matzat, Kelly, Tavernier, Devon — all Yes.)

- APC referral/recommendation: APC 306425 (Heritage Land Operations LLC) — rezoning from Agricultural to Industrial for approximately 38–40 acres to allow data-center/industrial development. Motion to send to County Council with favorable recommendation subject to written commitments passed 6–1 (Yes: Thacker, Hannan, Lauck, Kelly, Tavernier, Devon; No: Mattsett). Mover: Dr. Lauck. Seconder: DJ Tavernier.

- Resolution 269-25: The commission approved resolution 269-25 appointing Sean Klein as Area Plan Commission director (the committee selection was unanimous). Roll call for the resolution vote was unanimous in favor of the resolution.

What the written commitments and next steps mean

- The petitioner filed written commitments that staff said mirror commitments made in the prior, adjacent rezoning; those include limits on certain heavy industrial uses, off-premise signage restrictions, a traffic impact study per county engineer requirements, and a 200-foot green-space buffer applied in coordination with the larger development (staff noted the 200-foot buffer pertains to the broader site though the subject parcel does not directly border Juday Creek). The commission’s favorable recommendation is conditioned on those commitments; the County Council will review those commitments and the rezoning request.

- Staff said the county engineer will require a traffic impact study to inform required roadway improvements if new access to Cleveland Road is proposed. The petitioner said that traffic study is underway and will consider the broader region, not only the parcel.

Commissioners’ concerns and context

Commissioners expressed repeated concern about establishing a long-term boundary for industrial zoning and the difficulty of reversing rezoning once done. Commissioners asked staff to confirm the parcel’s placement in the 2045 comprehensive plan’s industrial/business-technology-park designation; staff confirmed it is shown for industrial use with business-tech overlay. Several commissioners emphasized the need to monitor traffic impacts on Cleveland Road and Capitol Avenue and to preserve agricultural land where appropriate.

Ending

The County Council will receive APC 306425 and the petitioner’s written commitments for its consideration. The commission’s action is a recommendation; final zoning action rests with the County Council. The petitioner and staff said they will continue coordination on the traffic study, utilities and Juday Creek mitigation as the County Council review proceeds.