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Residents urge moratorium on new data centers; county says zoning limits its authority
Summary
During public comment a resident asked for a one-year moratorium on new data centers citing energy, water and pollution concerns; county counsel said commissioners lack legal authority to impose such a moratorium and suggested tightening zoning and permitting steps instead.
At the July 8 meeting, Melissa Rexroth of Moorefield Township formally requested that the county adopt a one-year moratorium on new data centers, citing concerns she said include rising electricity rates, high farm energy costs, data-center water use and wastewater discharges with potential 'forever chemicals,' and noise and heat-island effects on crops and health. Rexroth provided commissioners with a packet of sources and said she was disappointed that comments were disabled on the county’s social media page.
Chief Legal Counsel Beau Thompson responded that "cities and villages have the ability to pass moratoriums on data centers; county commissioners do not have a legal ability to do what she is asking the commissioners to do." Commissioner Sasha L. Rittenhouse and Commissioner Charles A. Patterson said the county plans to pursue zoning changes and additional regulatory requirements that would create greater barriers to siting large data centers in unincorporated areas; Patterson noted that rezoning to I-2 outside the city would require a public process including hearings.
