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Warren County adopts data-center ordinance after public hearing; officials say rules can be tightened later
Summary
After months of drafting and public comment, the Warren County Commissioners voted to adopt Ordinance No. 202632-8 to regulate data centers. Residents urged stronger water protections and transparency on tax abatements; commissioners approved the ordinance while encouraging further amendments and baseline data collection.
Warren County Commissioners voted to adopt Ordinance No. 202632-8 governing data-center development after a public hearing in which residents raised concerns about water use, tax abatements and nondisclosure agreements.
Resident Hunt Wy, who said he moved to the county in 2014, criticized aspects of the draft ordinance and urged stronger protections for groundwater and clearer distance rules. “Id hate to see our natural springfed water levels in there any lower,” Hunt Wy said, citing fears that the ordinances 1,000-foot standard may be inadequate for protecting wells and nearby springs.
Commissioners and planning staff emphasized the urgency of putting a local regulatory framework in place while acknowledging it may be amended. A commissioner said the county needs “something on the books” to prevent an unregulated application from arriving while the ordinance remains pending; the board passed the measure and directed staff to continue community outreach and possible technical refinements.
Why it matters: large data centers can use substantial groundwater and may receive state-level tax abatements; local land-use rules determine special-exception processes and public-notice requirements. Speakers at the hearing urged the county to gather baseline water-well data and to consult hydrologists before finalizing distance standards.
Key details from the hearing: - The draft ordinance had been prepared over several months and received a favorable recommendation from the Area Plan Commission. - Public commenters voiced specific worries about a 1,000-foot buffer, possible nondisclosure agreements with developers, and the potential for long tax abatements determined at the state level. - Commissioners noted the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) decides tax-abatement length; county control of abatements is limited and broader legislative changes would be required to alter state-level reward lengths. - The board voted to adopt Ordinance No. 202632-8 and to make the approved text available on the county website within days. Staff said special-exception approval processes will require certified-notice letters to adjoining property owners and additional public hearings for any applicant.
What comes next: the ordinance will be posted online and staff will pursue community-grounding actions recommended during the hearing, including collecting baseline well-water tests where feasible and assembling technical advice from hydrologists. Commissioners said they expect to refine the ordinance through future amendments if necessary.
Quote attribution: direct quotes in this article are taken from on-the-record comments at the public hearing; attributions reflect the speakers recorded during the meeting.
The board approved the ordinance by voice vote; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally by name.
