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Residents and reporter urge countywide land‑use plan as data center questions surface
Summary
Citizens asked the Adams County commissioners for a countywide land‑use plan and raised concerns about data centers’ water and electricity use and tax abatements; People's Defender reporter Ryan Applegate apologized for prior conduct and described operational impacts of data centers, noting Ohio has 'over 200' data centers.
Several residents and a reporter pressed Adams County officials on March 16 for clearer county-level guidance on potential data center development and raised concerns about water usage, cooling systems and tax-abatement requests.
During the public-comment portion the board addressed questions about the Land Bank’s role — explaining the agency acquires dilapidated or vacant property, performs required remediation, and then sells parcels when feasible. Citizens asked that property owners be considered for grant funds rather than being solicited.
Ryan Applegate of The People’s Defender met with the board, apologized for prior temperament during a previous data center discussion and outlined operational issues he said are associated with data centers: dependence on water cooling, sizable water and electricity usage and requests for tax abatements. Applegate told the board that Ohio currently operates 'over 200 data centers.' The minutes record those concerns but do not include a formal board decision on data center policy or any regulatory change.
Commissioners did not adopt new land‑use rules at the meeting; the public comment was recorded for future consideration. The minutes show the board received written input (a letter from citizen Dena Morris) and concurred with clarifying the Land Bank’s functions to questioners.
