Norton BZA grants height variance up to 115 feet for data center proposal at former PPG mine site

The Norton Board of Zoning and Building Appeals on Aug. 19 voted to grant a height variance not to exceed 115 feet for a proposed facility on the former PPG mine property at 3700 Limestone Drive, subject to a motion limiting the variance to Norton Energy Storage LLC.

Zoning administrator Bill Grama told the board the 92-acre site, commonly referred to as the PPG mine property, is zoned I-2, which limits structure height to 50 feet. The applicant’s preliminary plans show a building height of approximately 112.7 feet (the variance request included 115 feet to allow for final engineering adjustments). The applicant, represented by Dale Hobby, said the project is a vertical data-center design that stacks modular data enclosures and requires overhead crane clearances: "We build in a smaller footprint so that we do not take up acres and acres of land to build a data center... In order to do that we must also have overhead crane systems... height clearances are required." Hobby also noted previous industrial structures on the site were taller than current limits.

Numerous residents and commenters addressed the board. Glenn Yasco described historical site structures and said older silos were much taller; Charlotte Whipkey and others questioned who the actual project operator is and raised concerns about future uses, including a comment referencing past proposals to store nuclear waste in local mines. Whipkey asked whether the board should approve a large variance without clear information about the ultimate operator; she urged caution and said she would vote no if unsure of the project's ultimate use.

Board members clarified the variance covers height only; final site-plan review and a development agreement will come before Planning Commission and City Council later. One board member proposed, and the motion adopted, language limiting the granted variance to Norton Energy Storage LLC (i.e., not a blanket variance available to any future owner). The motion to approve a variance not to exceed 115 feet and limited to Norton Energy Storage LLC passed on a roll-call vote with all members present voting yes.

The approval advances the project's zoning stage by addressing the height limit only; additional approvals — including final site plan review, a development agreement before council, and any required permits — remain.