LaPorte County's Plan Commission spent the bulk of its Nov. 25 workshop discussing a proposed approach to data center development and agreed to assemble a small committee to draft ordinance language addressing noise, water use, monitoring and other community concerns.

A commissioner summarizing recent outreach said residents raised setbacks, lighting, noise ("55 decibels seems to be the norm, which is basically sound of a refrigerator"), requests for test-well monitoring and stricter water-use reporting. The commissioner reported that about 73 data centers are proposed across the state in roughly a dozen counties and noted Lake County currently has a stand-alone ordinance commissioners viewed as a useful template.

Discussion covered possible protections and limits of the planning commission's authority. Commissioners agreed some itemsfor example, economic development agreements and local labor requirementswould need county-commissioner action, while building-permit conditions or BZA conditions could address construction-era impacts. Commissioners expressed preference for a standalone ordinance (similar to the county's solar ordinance) rather than repeatedly amending the unified zoning ordinance, to ease future adjustments.

Health and nuisance concerns were raised: one commissioner said some residents report an acoustic pressure wave they can feel though not hear, and another highlighted particulate emissions (PM2.5) associated with diesel generators. Commissioners discussed vibration during construction (driving pilings) and ongoing operational vibration; they also identified third-party monitoring wells as a reliable, objective means of measuring groundwater changes and cited Hamilton County's example of installing and monitoring wells.

The commission agreed to recruit four members for a drafting committee; at least two commissioners volunteered during the meeting. Staff estimated a first draft could be targeted for February–March, with the formal public hearing and broader public comment once a draft is posted online. Staff also said there are currently no formal data center applications filed with the county.

Next steps: form the committee, compile redline comments on a template ordinance, consult IDEM and other state agencies as needed, and aim to present a draft for the commission to consider in early spring. The commission scheduled its next meeting for Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.