White County commissioners approve zoning updates, table moratoriums and consider rezone petitions

White County commissioners approved two amendments to the county zoning ordinance and took under advisement proposed moratoria on large renewable-energy projects and data centers at a meeting that included several rezone petitions and public correspondence.

The board voted to adopt Amendment A-81, which updates Chapter 7, “Renewable Energy Systems,” to restrict battery storage facilities from the A-1 general agriculture district and to require two educational training sessions for public-safety personnel as part of an application. Commissioners also adopted Amendment A-82, which adds permitting requirements for broadband providers in county right-of-way and establishes standards for data centers, limiting them to I-2 and I-3 zoning districts and requiring economic-development and road-use agreements and drainage approval.

Those amendments were presented by planning staff, who told commissioners the Area Plan Commission forwarded A-81 by an 8–2 vote and A-82 by a 9–1 vote. Planning staff said the A-81 language adds training and emergency-response requirements and that A-82 mirrors several measures under active state legislation such as water-usage and noise assessments.

The panel also considered three individual rezone petitions forwarded from the Area Plan Commission. Petition 12-01, for 1995 NE Shaffer Drive in Monticello, sought reclassification from A-1 (general agriculture) to R-2 (single- and two-family residential) to allow subdivision of a former campground store into a dwelling; the county approved that rezone. Petition 12-03, for 8602 N. Meridian Road in Monon, requested a change from A-1 to B-2 (general business) to allow commercial storage units; the board approved that petition after staff noted a Drainage Board approval will be required at the building-permit stage.

A third petition, 12-04 (3278 N. 400 E., Monticello), sought rezoning from A-1 to AED (Amusement and Entertainment District). Planning staff reported the Area Plan Commission recommended denial (3–6, one no recommendation) and said the commissioners had received an email with a petition signed by 87 taxpayers opposing the rezone and asking that Commissioner Caleb Pass be recused for an alleged conflict related to property clearing. The petitioner identified in the record was George Cocaro. Commissioners debated the petition and several said they intended to vote to deny, but a motion to deny the rezone failed on the record; the transcript does not record a final disposition of petition 12-04 after that failed motion.

The Area Plan Commission also recommended a 24-month moratorium on commercial or large renewable-energy projects (solar, wind, storage and carbon-sequestration facilities sited to generate electricity for off-site sale) and a 12-month moratorium on data-center permits. Commissioners voted to “take the…