Kosciusko APC recommends denying rezoning for proposed 554‑acre data‑center site

The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission on April (regular meeting) recommended that County Commissioners deny a petition to rezone about 554 acres along County Road 700 North from agricultural to Industrial‑3 for a proposed hyperscale data center.

The recommendation, made during the commission’s April meeting and approved unanimously by members present, follows hours of testimony from the petitioner’s representatives and more than 40 members of the public. The commission’s recommendation is advisory and will be transmitted to the Kosciusko County Commissioners for a final decision at their April 22 meeting at 9:15 a.m. in the same room.

Why it matters: The petitioner sought to change district zoning to I‑3 — the county district that permits large, intensive industrial uses — but offered a voluntary condition limiting development on the site to a “data center” as defined in county ordinance. Supporters said the site is uniquely sited for a data center because three 345 kV transmission lines and a switching station converge there, and they presented projections for tax revenue, jobs and limited ongoing water use. Opponents argued the rezoning would amount to spot zoning that conflicts with the Kosciusko County Comprehensive Plan and would permanently remove productive farmland, harm local water and traffic systems and reduce neighbors’ quality of life.

Petitioner presentation and…