WCPO 9's Stephen Knobel covers Butler County. If you have a story that you'd like Stephen to look into or a news tip, email him at stephen@wcpo.com.
LIBERTY TWP., Ohio — The Liberty Township Zoning Commission approved a proposed zoning change and sent it to township trustees for final consideration Monday, a move that would give trustees the power to approve or reject future data center projects on a case-by-case basis.
The proposed change would not ban data centers. Instead, it would require projects to go through the township's planned unit development process, allowing trustees to decide whether a project moves forward and impose conditions on approved developments.
Before the vote, Liberty Township Trustee President Todd Minniear said his biggest concerns surrounding data centers are energy use, water consumption and noise.
"We want more business in Liberty Township, but it has to be the right kind of business for our citizens," Minniear said.
He added that Liberty Township's largely residential character makes the likelihood of a data center being approved "a long shot."
Proposal comes as neighboring Trenton faces backlash over Project Mila
Liberty Township's discussions come as neighboring Trenton continues to grapple with controversy surrounding Project Mila, a proposed 141-acre, more than one million-square-foot data center campus planned for the city's industrial park.
WATCH: Here's what the proposal would look like for the township
Construction on the project has already begun after California-based developer Prologis purchased the property from the city for approximately $7.7 million.
Trenton resident Barry Blankenship said he was surprised to see heavy equipment arrive at the site shortly before Christmas and believes residents were not given enough notice or opportunities to provide input.
Blankenship has since helped organize the Woodsdale and Trenton Environmental Resistance, or W.A.T.E.R., a group advocating for greater transparency and pushing local leaders to halt the project.
"It's time the city stops and looks at what's going on and sees what other cities are doing — moratoriums, outright bans, wanting to change zoning," Blankenship said. "Nobody wants to be like Trenton."
Prologis has defended the project, saying the facility will create 140 jobs and generate roughly $120,000 annually in utility revenue for the city.
According to the company, the data center will use a water-efficient cooling system requiring water only about 3% of the year, without chemicals, and Prologis says it will pay for all utility upgrades and associated costs.
State lawmakers studying data centers as activists push for statewide ban
Concerns over data centers are not limited to Butler County.
Ohio lawmakers have created a bipartisan committee to study the rapid growth of the industry, while Gov. Mike DeWine has paused tax incentives for new data center projects.
Local activists are also pushing for a statewide constitutional amendment that would ban large-scale data centers altogether.
Hamilton resident Kat Steele said water quality remains her biggest concern.
"The aquifer touches several counties, several communities," Steele said. "It's going to adversely affect all these communities that are sharing the aquifers."
What's next?
The measure now moves to township trustees, who are expected to hold a public hearing on July 7. A final decision could be made that night.
Have a story idea or tip for WCPO 9 Butler County reporter Stephen Knobel? Email him at stephen@wcpo.com.
