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Residents raise alarms over possible data center expansion; commissioners consider zoning response
Summary
Public commenters and county officials debated recent property transfers near an existing Springfield data center and a proposed zoning text amendment that would limit data centers to I-2 heavy industrial zones. A resident said LinkedIn posts and acquisition activity indicate an expansion that would triple facility size, while commissioners noted limited county authority over city/township zoning.
During the April 22 meeting, public commenters and commissioners discussed a possible large-scale expansion of a Springfield-area data center and county options for limiting such developments. Commissioner Sasha L. Rittenhouse said the county lacks authority over Springfield Township zoning and noted that if land is annexed it would fall under city zoning. Community and Economic Development Director Ethan Harris said staff will next propose a text amendment to place data centers in I-2 (heavy industrial) zoning and that the amendment would proceed to the Rural Zoning and Planning Commission before returning to the board.
Springfield Township resident Diana Daniels told commissioners she had "dropped a bombshell" at a recent city meeting after researching the property and said LinkedIn posts suggested a mid-February acquisition and a plan to expand a data center from 67,000 square feet to 214,000 square feet, a change she said would substantially increase water use. "Clark County soil, water and air is not for sale," Daniels said, adding the proposed tripling of capacity raised transparency and resource concerns. Commissioner Charles A. Patterson reviewed auditor records in the meeting and said the properties appeared under CMH01 Holdings rather than the Community Improvement Corporation, a point that raised a factual dispute between the commenter’s public reporting and the county’s records.
County staff emphasized zoning as the practical lever available to the commissioners; Beau Thompson, chief legal counsel, said the county lacks broader legislative authority beyond named statutes and recommended the zoning text amendment as the most direct county action. Commissioners discussed the option of a formal resolution opposing data centers but noted that zoning is the operative path to regulation. Harris said staff could not speak for city or township processes and expects the site to follow normal annexation procedures if pursued by developers.
