Boone County Area Plan Commission to have public hearing on data center moratorium

The Boone County Commissioners will not vote on a data center moratorium until at least June. The Boone County Area Plan Commission voted earlier in May to send a one-year data center moratorium that would apply to unincorporated parts of the county to the commissioners for consideration. However, no formal public hearing took place before the vote. This was an oversight as plan commission recommendations require public input prior to a vote. Plan Commission President John Merson said there will be a public hearing at the next commission meeting at 7 p.m. June 3. The county commissioners could then consider the proposal at their June 15 meeting, according to Commissioner Tim Beyer. It was previously expected the commissioners would discuss the matter at its May 18 meeting. Eleven counties in Indiana have data center moratoriums. A couple of counties banned them altogether. “My personal opinion is we need to just ban data centers in the unincorporated parts of Boone County,” Merson said during the plan commission’s May 6 meeting. The moratorium is meant to give the county time finish its comprehensive plan while also researching a possible ban. The one-year pause would give officials time to consider if all data centers should be banned or just certain types, like larger ones. “We just want to get ahead of these projects that might encroach on the rural lifestyle and rural atmosphere,” Merson told Current. Merson said he doesn’t think the rural areas of Boone County have the infrastructure to support data centers. Related posts: No related posts. Share. Tumblr