Shalersville trustees on Oct. 20 unanimously extended the township’s now years-long moratorium on data centers another six months.
It was set to expire Nov. 3, but on Oct. 14, the county Regional Planning Commission tabled a slate of proposed conditions data center developers and property owners would have to meet if they wish to set up shop in Shalersville.
That left the township zoning commission with nothing to consider on Oct. 15, which left the trustees with nothing to codify into Shalersville’s zoning book on Oct. 20.
The trustees nonetheless heard area residents speak out against landowner Geis Companies and would-be developer Bitdeer Technologies Group, which have expressed their wish to build a 750-megawatt data center on Geis-owned land near Shalersville’s Ohio Turnpike interchange.
Jim Epling, a member of an ad hoc citizen’s group meant to provide the trustees with research and guidance, predicted lawsuits in Shalersville’s future.
Trustee Ron Kotkowski isn’t so sure.
“It’s just just my guess, but I expect that they would have sued us already if our moratorium was invalid. So I don't know. They've threatened us, they've told us that it was invalid, but then why didn't they sue us before? Maybe they will; I don't know,” he said.
The Regional Planning Commission expects to consider a new slate of conditional uses during its December meeting.
“We have a little time to look over that and see what direction we want to go on that,” Kotkowski said. “I don't mind that it was tabled because it gives us time to think through it thoroughly. We don't want to make any rash decisions that would be a mistake. So I think it's very important that we look this over carefully before making any decisions.”
The township expects a sound study it commissioned to start next week. Results will provide a baseline of current sound levels in and around the area of the proposed data center site. That, Kotkowski said, is important because the township means to regulate the amount of noise the data center could legally produce.