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Residents urge council to block data center amid noise, traffic and water concerns
Summary
Residents at the Hobart meeting urged the council to halt or limit a proposed data center planned for Ross Township, raising concerns about traffic, noise, groundwater and emergency response; they asked for baseline groundwater testing, stricter noise standards and developer/utility meetings before approvals proceed.
At the March 18 Hobart meeting, several residents pressed the council to stop or more tightly regulate a proposed data‑center development planned near 61st and 69th avenues in the annexed Ross Township area.
Patricia Corey, a Hobart resident, told the council she opposed placing the facility “in 61st and 69th Avenue” and asked for concrete commitments for residents if local wells were harmed. “I say absolutely no data center at 61st and 69th Avenue,” Corey said during the public‑comment period, urging the council to deliver the park that residents say was previously promised instead of permitting large industrial buildings.
Other residents raised related health and environmental concerns. A speaker who identified herself as Jennifer McQuaid, of 6731 Grand Boulevard, described Ross Township as having been “forcibly annexed” decades ago and said the neighborhood felt like a “sacrifice zone” as land is rezoned for industrial uses. “It feels like you have turned us into a sacrifice zone,” she said, laying out worries about heavy diesel generators, long‑term air pollution and quality‑of‑life impacts.
Council members and staff responded with procedural and technical clarifications. City staff noted traffic‑management plans, off‑site parking and ongoing traffic studies intended to mitigate construction and operational peaks. The mayor said the city has required site‑specific traffic studies and will continue to refine contractor staging and queuing to limit roadway backups.
Residents pressed the council for additional safeguards beyond standard site planning: baseline groundwater and soil testing before any major dewatering or construction, a dedicated “data‑center” ordinance with specific noise, light and emissions mitigations, and a public meeting that includes the developer and utilities such as NIPSCO. One commenter recounted a personal call‑for‑service that experienced delayed ambulance routing, linking emergency‑response concerns to increased traffic and construction congestion.
Council members acknowledged the concerns but highlighted constraints and tradeoffs. Several members noted the city’s need to grow revenue to sustain services such as firefighters and ambulances, and said the proposed industrial zoning and earlier infrastructure investments were part of a long‑running economic plan for the corridor. They also said some environmental mitigation measures and monitoring are part of standard permitting and stormwater plans.
What’s next: residents asked the council to require groundwater baseline testing and to hold a developer/utility forum. Council indicated staff will continue conversations and that public‑comment input will be incorporated into reviews and hearings associated with the annexation and development permits.
