WARSAW — Plans for a data center near Leesburg faced a wall of opposition Wednesday in a rezoning hearing that lasted nearly two and half hours in Warsaw.

A bid to rezone 550 acres that could open the door for the petitioner, Prologis, to construct ten buildings as part of a hyper-scale data center, failed to gain any clear support from the area plan commission’s eight attending members who voted unanimously to recommend against rezoning the farmland to Indutrial 3.

Opponents, led by a group called Keep Leesburg Rural, assailed the plan as an assault on agriculture and argued it was a classic example of spot zoning.

Attorney, Steve Snyder, representing Prologis, compared the current plan to the one that esablished the Louis Dryfes bio fuel plant in Claypool years ago because of the availability of nearby trasporttion.

The land for the data center, Snyder said, is ideal because of the nearby convergence of three massive electric transmission lines needed to run the data center.

[caption id="attachment_107767" align="alignright" width="320"] Peggy Friday, executive director of Kosciusko County Economic Development Corporation, talked about the importance of thoroughly understanding the issues involved in the data center proposal and listed a few benefits she envisions. At the bottom was a fact sheet provided by Prologis. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Snyder said the project would ramp up over ten years and bring with it 300 high-paying jobs.

He said the jobs and especially the tax revenues would provide hundreds of millions of dollars in tax benefits.

He predicted that over a 10-year span, tax revenues would generate about $335 million from the data center. He compared that to $311,000 in property taxes that would be derived from the existing farm ground over the same 10-year period.

More than 100 people attended the meeting and overwhelmed the few who spoke in favor of the plan.

Those against cited distrust over the plan and the technology, with some contending the company could eventually falter if the emerging technology somehow becomes obsolete, thereby leaving behind a vast parking lot and buildings that would permanently decimate a large swath of prime farm ground.

They also expressed fear that the data center would need much more water for cooling it computers than portrayed by Snyder.

Kassi Rowland compared the zoning process to the TV show, survivors and was adamant in her opposition.

"Spot zoning I3 in the middle of prime farmland is just wrong. It's reckless. It ignores the vision our county laid out for responsible development. It opens the door for more industrial sprawl that will slowly chip away at our agricultural foundation that supports our county and future generations," Rowland said.

Many complained about the how the development would ruin the rural environment for many surrounding families and some pointed to the apparent hum or noise that would emmenate from the ten buildings.

One man spoke against all of the emerging technology, saying he believes it is a threat to humanity.

One of the few to speak on behalf of the plan was Peggy Friday, executive director of Kosciusko County Economic Development Corporation, which takes a leadership role in the county's economic development efforts.

Friday said she believes county officials are looking at the issue closely “to make sure they’re asking the right questions and fully understanding both the economic and community impact.”

She also talked about the benefits such a technology and financial benefits would provide.

She did not outwardly endorse the rezoning, but acknowledged, “This potential investment could significantly enhance our schools, roads and infrastructure, public safety services and other essential community resources.”

Plan Commission President Lee Harman summed up a sense of distrust over the suggested financial windfall and said he worked about the negative impact it would have.

"This phrase that keeps rattling around in my head is that 'All that glitters is not gold,' " Harman said.

"There's a price to be paid — one way or the other on this," he said, saying he was worried about those who would be most affected by it.

Ultimately, concern for nearby residents was a big factor.

"What about the other areas around it?" Harman said. "That concerns me and I think it opens a Pandora's box that I'm not comfortable with at all."

The recommendation now goes to the county commissioners who have final say on the request.

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LEESBURG — A packed room is expected for Wednesday's proposed rezoning hearing that would open the door for plans to construct a data center northwest of Leesburg.

[caption id="attachment_107503" align="alignright" width="440"] A sign opposing the data center is seen along East Van Buren Street Friday in Leesburg. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

An unnamed petitioner is seeking to rezone 550 acres of farm ground made available by three landowners in hopes of constructing a data center roughly between CR 300W and 400W.

The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission will review the plan at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

The proposal has upset farmers worried about the growing loss of farm ground and the amount of water and electricity that would be needed to support the venture.

[caption id="attachment_107507" align="alignright" width="400"] The above drawing, provided by the petitioner, shows how buildings that are part of the proposed data center would be aligned on the 550 acres of land northwest of Leesburg.[/caption]

Nearly 200 people attended a meeting earlier this month in Clunette seeking insights into the plan and voicing strong opposition to the concept.

Interest in the proposal has only grown since that meeting and Kosciusko County Area Plan Director Matt Sandy said he expects the old courtroom of the courthouse will be packed.

"Lots of remonstrances have come in," Sandy said, referring to calls, emails and letters to the office.

The old courtroom in the courthouse can hold a maximum of 120 people and there will be room for about 100 people for those seeking to support or oppose the plan.

Sandy said he talked with Area Plan Commission Chairman Lee Harman and that they will seek to limit comments to two minutes from each person and urge speakers not to be repetitive.

In many cases, speakers will be asked to identify themselves "and say ditto" if the previous person already summed up their thoughts.

Sandy said everyone will be given a chance to speak, but added that based on previous experience, many in the crowd will just want to learn more about the request and not address the commission.

The petitioner will be given up to about 15 minutes for a closing rebuttal, he said.

Opponents, coordinating efforts under the name, "Keep Leesburg Rural," have organized a petition, created a Facebook page and are urging people to speak up against the plan.

The plan commission will make a recommendation to the county commissioners who have the final say on the matter.

The plan office also made available on Friday a drawing provided by the petitioner and a map from the plan office.

The post Large crowd expected in Warsaw for data center rezoning on Wednesday appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW -- It didn’t take long for the first sign of new development to surface after construction of the new Tippecanoe-Chapman Regional Sewer District began two weeks ago.

On Tuesday, the Kosciusko County Commissioners approved a recommendation from the area plan commission to rezone about 20 acres along Stanton Lake Road, just south of Tippecanoe Lake.

Tuesday’s approval is the major step but how many homes could be constructed is still unclear, said Area Plan Commission Plan Director Matt Sandy.

The request by the Ransbottom family to rezone the land from agriculture to residential was unanimously approved by the commissioners and follows a unanimous recommendation from the area plan commission.

The only opposition came from one resident who express concern about whether Stanton Lake Road can handle the increased traffic.

The move comes two weeks after construction began on the new sewer district that will serve customers around ncd Chapman and Tippecane lakes.

The area represents one of the biggest residential lake areas in the state that still is without sewer service.

Sandy said he believes there is a connection between the two events.

“If I had to take a guess, almost totally, it's the sewer. Without sewer, lot density is a lot higher, soils become more of a factor -- so sewer really opens the door for this to happen,” Sandy said.

Construction of sewers will continue into 2024. Nearly all residents in the area have signed agreements to participate.

Officials have predicted the availability of sewers would open the door for more development.

"This is what we anticipated seeing and we're probably going to see more of it around Chapman and Tippy," he said.

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