Hobart plan panel approves two data center site plans and a rezone after contentious public hearings

HOBART, Ind. — The Hobart City Plan Commission on May 7 approved flagship site plans and a rezone tied to a proposed data center campus south of 61st Avenue, after more than four hours of public testimony from residents demanding independent health, noise and property-value studies.

The commission unanimously approved Site Plan 26-12 for a 168-acre campus under Hobart Owner LLC, granted a favorable recommendation on Rezone 26-16 (R-3 to M-1) and cleared a related two-lot preliminary plat (26-17). The panel later approved a separate, nearby site plan (26-14) and a one-lot preliminary plat (26-18) for the broader Hobart Tech Park; the second approval included explicit contingencies. Both votes were 8-0.

Why it matters: The approvals clear major land-use steps for a hyperscale-style campus that would add several large buildings, berms, wetland-mitigation features, and hundreds of backup generators to land on Hobart’s south side. The decisions set conditions the developers must meet and invited further technical review while setting a timetable for utility and right-of-way work along Colorado Street.

What the commission approved and what remains: For the 168-acre Hobart Owner site, plan documents show six primary data buildings, two auxiliary structures and a landscape buffer that includes 10–18-foot berms and a multi-use trail along 61st Avenue. The panel approved the site plan (26-12) as presented, granted the rezone (26-16) and approved a 2-lot preliminary plat (26-17). For the adjacent owner’s site, the commission approved the Phase 1 site plan (26-14) with contingencies requiring third-party construction inspectors and a redesign of drainage/swales to meet City standards. The commission also approved the one-lot preliminary plat (26-18) provided the preliminary plat shows a dedicated 40-foot right-of-way along Colorado Street.

Public safety and environment in debate: Earlier in the evening, engineers from Kimley-Horn and Langan reviewed drainage, native landscaping, wetland mitigation, acoustical modeling and air-quality permitting. Staff and consultants said the project will be permitted to Indiana environmental agencies, and the developers described a stormwater design with constructed wetlands and detention basins and said generator emissions will be controlled by Tier 4 units and limited annual run-times.

Many residents pushed back. At the hearing Angelita Soriano said residents ‘‘deserve far more than the bare minimum protections’’ and urged an independent health-impact assessment; Soriano added, “If you truly want to be a good neighbor, then prove it.” Ted Smukler addressed the commission saying: “This procedure is a farce … the people who have presented here are not independent and have been paid for by Amazon.”

Developer and staff responses: Attorney Todd Leeth, counsel for Hobart Owner LLC, said the technical materials (roughly 185 pages) were provided to City staff and their consultants well in advance and that the notice procedures followed by the city and petitioners complied with the law. On the topic of presenter affiliation he told the commission the presenters “are under the employ of one or more of the developers of the data center — that is how every project is done.” City engineers and outside consultants told the commission that drainage, traffic and environmental studies were reviewed and that the City will require third-party inspectors and additional drainage refinements during final design and construction.

Votes at a glance: • Petition 26-12 (Site Plan, Hobart Owner LLC, 168 acres): Approved, 8-0. • Petition 26-16 (Rezone R-3 to M-1, 2.352 acres): Favorable recommendation, 8-0. • Petition 26-17 (Preliminary plat, 2-lot subdivision): Approved, 8-0. • Petition 26-14 (Site Plan, Langan/Hobart Tech Park, phase 1): Approved with contingencies (third-party inspectors and drainage/swale redesign), 8-0. • Petition 26-18 (Preliminary plat, 1-lot subdivision): Approved contingent on showing a 40-foot ROW along Colorado Street on the preliminary plat, 8-0.

Key takeaways and next steps: The approvals move the projects forward but leave several issues open. The commission required additional technical fixes — notably drainage/swale redesigns — and third-party construction oversight. Developers must address those contingencies as part of final engineering and permitting. Residents and outside experts asked the city to require independent health and noise monitoring and to provide additional public reporting; the Plan Commission’s decisions did not require a health-impact assessment but did instruct staff to continue technical review and to enforce permit conditions during construction.

The City’s next procedural steps include final engineering submissions, state permitting (IDEM, possible Army Corps coordination for jurisdictional wetlands), and construction oversight. The City’s approvals were unanimous but conditioned; opponents have said they are exploring other administrative and legal options.

— Reporting from the Hobart City Plan Commission meeting. Attribution and sources: Reporting is based on live public proceedings of the May 7, 2026 Hobart City Plan Commission meeting, written materials presented to staff by the applicants, and public comments entered into the record. Speakers quoted appeared in the meeting’s public hearing (see speaker list).