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Plain City council weighs zoning changes, temporary pause for data centers
Summary
Village Administrator Haley Lupton told the council that Ohio has about 191 operational data centers (Oct. 2025) and recommended making data centers a conditional use with site-specific requirements; council asked staff to research Ohio EPA water-discharge policy impacts and signaled support for cautious regulation, including a potential temporary pause.
Village Administrator Haley Lupton told the Plain City Council on March 4 that the Village has not received any data center applications but that staff is recommending Zoning Code updates to make data centers a conditional use where currently permitted.
“Staff is recommending updating the Zoning Code to make data centers a conditional use in zoning districts where they are currently permitted,” Lupton said, summarizing a LUC Regional Planning Commission report included in the meeting packet and noting that Ohio had approximately 191 operational facilities as of October 2025. She listed possible use-specific requirements such as façade design, screening, setbacks, height limits and noise regulations.
Why it matters: data centers require substantial water, sewer and electric capacity and can bring both economic development and local impacts. Council members said limited utility availability across central Ohio is a key constraint and noted community concerns about noise and environmental effects.
Council Member A. Lewis raised concerns about water-discharge impacts in light of recent Ohio EPA policy changes. “We need to understand how [OEPA] changes affect discharge and approvals,” Lewis said, asking staff to research the regulatory implications before any Zoning Code changes are finalized.
Derek Hutchinson, the Village Planner, outlined the conditional-use application process and the review steps required if Council adopts the recommended change. Development Director Jason Stanford said the location of a data center strongly influences potential impacts and mitigation needs.
Mayor Jody Carney and Council Member T. Arnold both said they would support a cautious approach. Carney said, given the time required to amend the Zoning Code, she would be amenable to implementing a temporary pause on data center developments; Arnold voiced support for that option. No formal moratorium or ordinance was proposed or adopted at the meeting.
Next steps: staff will draft proposed Zoning Code language defining “data center” and outlining conditional-use standards, and Lupton will report back on how recent Ohio EPA water-discharge policy changes could affect local regulation. The council’s discussion stopped short of formal action; motions at the meeting were limited to routine approvals and the executive-session votes recorded in the minutes.
