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Commission flags noise and water concerns in proposed data‑center ordinance
Summary
Reviewing a township‑submitted data‑center ordinance, Perry County planners suggested changes on noise thresholds, water consumption reporting and clearer district definitions; commission staff will prepare model guidance for townships.
Commissioners reviewed a proposed data‑center ordinance amendment submitted by a township and identified several substantive gaps staff recommended correcting before adoption. Key concerns included noise thresholds, water consumption metrics and correct references to zoning district names.
Staff noted the draft lacked a clear decibel standard and suggested lowering an initially proposed baseline (examples discussed included reducing 70 dB baselines toward 60 dB). Commissioners also flagged water use as a major concern: "one of the big concerns with these facilities is how much water they use," a planner said, and urged clearer rules on closed‑loop cooling versus open purge systems.
Other technical suggestions included clarifying whether the draft intended an industrial district (the text referenced industrial business but the ordinance lacked a matching district title) and adding conditional‑use provisions specific to data‑center impacts (screening, buffering, HVAC visibility and peak power/water demand). Commissioners encouraged Tri County staff to produce a model ordinance/toolkit that smaller townships can use.
Next steps: Tri County staff will circulate a fact sheet and staff indicated they are working internally on model language and will discuss at upcoming meetings.
