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Hearing examiner recommends rezoning for 467-acre data center campus amid neighborhood protest
Summary
Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner recommended approval of a rezoning request to allow a multi-building data center campus in Franklin/Warren township area, subject to 35 commitments. Neighbors raised concerns about noise, water use and long-term community impacts.
The hearing examiner recommended approval on June 26 of a rezoning petition to allow a multi-building data center campus on about 467.7 acres on the Franklin/Warren Township border, after a contested public hearing with dozens of neighbors in attendance.
The petitioner, represented by attorney Joe Calderon, asked to rezone a large group of parcels to the CS (Commercial Service) district and to grant variances including building heights up to 75 feet and increased front-yard setbacks to permit a campus of data center buildings. “What we're proposing is actually a data center campus,” Calderon said as he described multiple buildings and the project’s utility requirements.
Neighbors and community members urged denial. Several speakers described health, environmental and infrastructure concerns. “My 6‑year‑old son has recurrent autoimmune encephalitis. Environmental overload makes him very ill and causes his brain to swell,” said Meredith Sharp, a…
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