Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What Plain City’s proposed data‑center ordinance would do — and what residents want changed
Summary
The draft ZC-26-20 would add chapter 11-88 to create a data-center category with a 750-foot residential setback and 1,000-foot setback from waterways; residents at the hearing urged larger setbacks, water-use limits and independent cumulative-impact studies.
The proposed ordinance ZC-26-20 would add Chapter 11-88 to Plain City’s planning and zoning code and create explicit definitions and a permitting path for data centers. The draft currently proposes a 750-foot residential setback and a 1,000-foot setback from waterways, and would treat data centers as subject to conditional-use review in many zones; council members said the draft is a first step and will return for further amendment and public hearing.
Public commenters pressed for stronger standards. Penny Shanky urged the council to “reject the week's 750 foot compromise” and adopt a two‑mile residential buffer, set strict water‑use caps and require independent cumulative‑impact studies before approvals. Council staff and legal counsel confirmed that substantial changes would require another public hearing and that conditional‑use review and BZA processes could add oversight for specific projects.
