Special Data Center Committee Meeting: 5/18/26

MEETING:

Date: 5/18/2026

Recorder: Cathy Cooper

BACKGROUND:

Goal: Development Data Center Land Use Regulations for Hancock.  This will be presented to the Plan Commission.

Committee members:

Mary Zerbach is a member of RDC committee.  Civil engineer.  Economic development. Green Township

Renee Oldham is a member of Plan Commission.

Derek Adams Environmental Health Specialist.  Works for county Health Dept.  Center Township

Phillip Hayes.  Member of Nine Star Connect.  Represents utilities.  Jackson Township

Jeanine Gray.  Member BOC.  Non-voting member.

Samuel Galyean.  Industrial representative.  Union member.  Fortville

Mike Long is Chair of Plan Commission

Julie Sedam is an IT specialist.  Buck Creek Township

Lacey Williard is an attorney and a member of the BZA and the Plan Commission.

Kiley Blalock. Farmer. Training in reverse logistics. 

Melissa Jackson. Representing citizens on utility matters. Greenfield

Paul Overhauser is an attorney. Citizen representative. 

Clark Smith is member of County Council. Non-voting member

Rhoda Cook is the zoning and planning department attorney. 

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT AGENDA ITEMS AND KEY POINTS:

Presentation by attorney Rhonda Cook. Discussed the following:

·         1980 Home Rule Act.  Allows local governments to draft ordinances on things not addressed by state law.  State laws will override local ordinances.

·         IGA priority is job creation, investment and economic development.  Therefore, they will react negatively to NIMBY and moratoriums.  

·         Use American Legal Publishing to locate Hancock County ordinances

·         Definition of communication services exchange is very outdated, even though it includes today’s data center.

·         Review of the various zoning classifications in the county and what is permitted in each, including permitted use and special exceptions and what requires a re-zone.

·         Data centers are currently classified as Communication Services Exchanges, an outdated definition that allows them in the following zones:

o   Institutional

o   Industrial Business Park

o   Industrial Light (IL)

o   Industrial General (IG)

Tomorrow’s BOC meeting will ask zoning board to initiate a county ordinance to adjust and reduce the above permitted zones for DC.  The draft ordinance is on the May 25 Plan Commission agenda.  Input from this committee is needed to complete this ordinance. To include:

·         Definition of data center (taken from Lake County definition)

·         Definition of Communication Services.

·         Permitted use of data center limited to IG zones.

·         Add an overlay approval process for data centers in Hancock County, including review by multiple boards (BOC, Plan Commission, and Tech Review Committee) and public input.

·         Development standards, community benefits.

·         Speculative vs non-speculative development

·         Decommissioning processes

Webinars, research materials given to the committee prior to this meeting and what this committee should focus on.

·         Benefits to community

·         Decommissioning process

·         Discussion of pros and cons of moratoriums (which may negatively impact local control and cause a reaction from state government, inhibit other industries from coming to the county).

Next meeting will include deeper discussion on out of state webinars (Louden County, VA, Microsoft Fair Water Wisconsin, Ohio Planning Webinar) and information from other counties and Indianapolis.

Group discussion

Moratorium vs overlays pros and cons

Tax abatements pros and cons. County government can make demands of developers to address this.

Tax revenue benefits of development pros and cons, including strain on schools and infrastructure,

Effects on farm property taxes pros and cons.

Categories of data centers: hyperscale, modular, various tiers based on the amount of down time permitted, crypto farms.

County Comprehensive Plan (developed 2005): West Hancock: industrial and has grown significantly. East Hancock: agriculture

Noise pollution issues.  Landscaping parameters. Energy use, grid connection vs self-generated energy. Sustainable use of waste (CO2 greenhouse)  Water use and discharge.

ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS, NOTES, FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:

Use the term overlay rather than moratorium, when putting breaks on development

Plan Commission meeting Tuesday May 26 6:30 pm: Data Center Committee on agenda

Future Special Committee meetings will be topic focused.

            Next meeting will focus on development and design standards.   June 9 5:30 pm