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Residents urge commissioners to block or limit New Carlisle data‑center rezonings, cite well failures and environmental concerns
Summary
Multiple residents told the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on June 3 they oppose proposed rezonings for data centers near New Carlisle, citing well failures they attribute to construction dewatering, potential declines in property values, noise, light and air pollution, and calls to protect Judy Creek and neighboring properties.
During the public‑comment period at the June 3 St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting, several residents from and near New Carlisle urged the board to reconsider or oppose proposed rezonings that would allow data‑center development on roughly 1,057 acres and to scrutinize related approvals for solar installations.
Dan Caruso of New Carlisle asked commissioners to reschedule the June 17 evening meeting to an earlier daytime hour to avoid conflicts with an Area Plan Commission hearing that same day, saying the APC meeting could be lengthy and that a time change would allow broader public participation.
Steve Francis, of Clay Township, urged closer review of a possible data‑center expansion north of State Road 20 and raised concerns about a pending amendment to the county’s solar ordinance that a commenter described as creating a property‑value guarantee for parcels within three miles of a solar installation. Francis asked how the county could determine property‑value decline at distances where installations cannot be seen and said the change should not single out a single industry. He also urged protection of Judy Creek in development agreements tied to large data‑center projects.
Cheryl Nicks, reading from a Tribune article, described a local resident whose well went dry in December and said community members believe extensive dewatering for construction of Amazon and other large industrial projects may be a factor; Nicks said the resident could not afford a replacement well. Mary Countryman and Charlotte Wolfe likewise urged caution on rezoning for data centers, citing proximity to existing and planned housing neighborhoods, concerns about local benefits and environmental protections, and requests that commissioners consider locally compatible affordable‑housing projects as alternatives to large industrial rezonings.
All comments were delivered during the public‑comment portion of the meeting; no formal action or votes on rezonings occurred at the June 3 meeting. Commissioners acknowledged receipt of the comments but did not take immediate legislative steps during the session.
