MT. ORAB, Ohio — Nearly 275 residents packed the Mt. Orab Middle School gymnasium Tuesday night, demanding answers about a mysterious 1,000-acre development project that has divided the village.
The meeting marked the second time in a week that residents confronted village council members about the project along Route 32. Last week's meeting in the small council chambers left dozens of people standing outside in the cold.
"I was one of the 80 people standing outside in sub-zero temperatures freezing our asses off," resident Anthony Casbar said.
This time, village leaders moved to a larger venue, but even the gymnasium couldn't accommodate everyone who wanted to attend. The entire left side of the bleachers was filled, leaving some to stand and watch from the sidelines.
Casbar, who didn't get to speak at the previous meeting, shared harsh words on Tuesday.
"I don't care what the lawyers say from Columbus. You don't live here. This ain't your town," he said.
WATCH: Concerned residents press Mt. Orab leaders for answers on mega site development
Residents peppered officials with questions about whether the project is a data center, but council members remained largely silent due to non-disclosure agreements they signed regarding the development.
"Is it going to be a data center? Yes or no question," one resident asked.
"I can't divulge that information," said attorney Brodi Conover, drawing boos from the crowd.
Village attorneys handled most of the questions, admitting the process has been "atypical" because a developer bought the vacant land before applying for permits.
Member Eric Lang was one of two council members to break the meeting's unified silence. During last week's meeting, Lang announced he had rescinded his non-disclosure agreement.
"I think everybody here has a good heart, and I don't think anyone's exactly wanting to see a data center come, but I also can't confirm that it is a data center," Lang said.
When asked about a timeline for the project, attorneys said they don't know whether it will take months or years.
The 1,018-acre site sits near the heart of the village and is bordered by Oakland Road, New Hope-White Oak Station Road and Tri-County Highway. The village has the property listed on its website under the "development" tab as "no longer available."
Nearly 1,000 residents have signed a petition calling for a pause to the development plans. An additional 127 physical signatures were collected at Tuesday night's meeting, with more people signing online.
"Despite the scale and pace of activity, residents have been given little clear information about what is planned, how decisions were made, or how the public is expected to participate," the petition reads.
Michael LaTour, who lives a mile from the site, said he first noticed something was happening months ago when buildings near the property were being demolished.
"There's a lot of things that people are connecting patterns on that make them think it's a data center," LaTour said. "It's not a problem with the fact that technology exists. It's about location, public process and transparency, and we don't have any of that happening."
A Facebook group called "Mt. Orab Residents for Responsible Development" was created Jan. 10 and already has more than 1,700 members.
Residents are asking council to introduce a 12-month moratorium on the project. Council will review that request at their next meeting.
The meeting grew contentious as the evening progressed. After 37 minutes of legal discussion before public comments began, residents became frustrated when officials announced the meeting would end at 11 p.m. due to time limits for using the school facility.
By 10 p.m., only 18 of 26 registered speakers had been heard, with most residents speaking for about 10 minutes each. The announcement that not everyone would get to speak drew angry reactions from the crowd.
"Who here tonight is opposed to a mega site or a data center being built right now in Mt. Orab with the limited amount of information we currently have today?" one resident asked the crowd. "'Cause I'm not comfortable."
The response was overwhelming: "Never" and a room of raised hands.
