Residents press Maumee council for data center moratorium as ordinances change review process

Several residents used the public-comment period on Dec. 15 to express opposition to potential data-center development and asked the city to impose a temporary moratorium while risks are evaluated.

Suzanne Pizz, a Maumee resident, asked the council to enact a 12-month moratorium on data centers so the city could "thoroughly evaluate and present with full disclosure" the risks and benefits. She cited local concerns about energy and water use for cooling, potential strain on water resources and infrastructure, and other environmental and health impacts.

"I'm asking for the city of Maumee to consider and enact the same [moratorium]" she said, referencing a recent moratorium adopted by neighboring Waterville.

Council discussion earlier in the meeting had addressed Ordinances 36 and 37, which are scheduled for second reading. A council member explained those ordinances would change data centers from a permitted use to a conditional use in certain zoning districts — meaning applicants would be required to come before the city earlier in the process and the city could set conditions, rather than allowing the use by-right.

Council did not adopt a moratorium on Dec. 15. The record shows residents remain concerned about infrastructure impacts, noise, heat and perceived threats to the city's recreational and tourism assets if a large industrial facility were sited near downtown or the expressway corridor.