Residents urge Twinsburg council to ban data centers, ask for standalone ordinance and charter change
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Summary
Speakers at the Twinsburg City Council meeting urged elected officials to prohibit data centers outright — not merely pause permitting — asking for a standalone ordinance or charter amendment and a direct public vote. Council asked staff for more information but took no immediate legislative action.
Laurie Fasina, of 2950 Cannon, and other residents pressed the Twinsburg City Council during public comment to act decisively to prevent data centers from locating in town, saying a moratorium is only a delay and urging a standalone ordinance or charter prohibition so residents can vote the issue directly.
Fasina told council that the new zoning map’s purple “innovation and manufacturing” designation could allow data centers across large swaths of the city, including on Old Mill Road, and warned of potential threats to a local aquifer beneath that contested property. “This is an existential crisis in our community if we do not treat this with the intensity that we need to treat it with,” Fasina said.
Kathy Ooma, 1668 Bridget Lane, told council she and other residents oppose data centers in Twinsburg and criticized a proposed moratorium as inadequate. “A moratorium is not a solution. It’s a delay,” Ooma said, urging council to add a clear definition of data centers to the charter or pass a standalone ordinance that would not be diluted or bundled with unrelated rules, and to allow a public vote on the question.
Councilmembers did not take formal action on the request during the meeting. Councilmember Castillo asked staff to bring detailed information about the former Verizon property and other sites that have drawn attention so council and the public can better evaluate the concerns raised. Rebecca Ziegler, the city’s economic development director, reported that the Cellco/Verizon facility had removed signage and added fencing but that on-site checks by the wastewater director within the last 90 days showed employees working there and operations largely consistent with past CRA agreements.
Finance Director Christina Conway reminded council that some CRA/TURK meeting materials and company-specific monitoring details are not public records and cannot be disclosed at open session, limiting what staff can release about employment or payroll numbers tied to incentive agreements.
The council discussion indicated an appetite among several members to consider regulatory options, but no ordinance or charter amendment on data centers was introduced or voted on at this meeting. Councilmembers said they would review a proposed draft cautiously; one councilmember requested additional time to read the draft legislation before any vote.
The public comment portion of the meeting also included unrelated remarks about health department funding, school levies and community events. The city clerk and staff said they would return with further information when appropriate. The council adjourned at 9:23 p.m.
