Permit pause expires in March
VERMILION TWP. — Vermilion Township trustees are looking at new zoning rules for data centers before a one-year pause on permits expires March 4, 2027.
During their Nov. 4 meeting, trustees discussed limits on facility size, water use and electricity demand. Board Chairman Kenn Baughman said he wanted a resolution on the December agenda to begin moving proposed changes through the township’s zoning review process.
Trustees expressed support for pursuing changes but did not adopt new regulations or extend the moratorium at the meeting.
The board unanimously approved the temporary pause March 4. It prevents the township from accepting, processing or approving zoning permit applications for data centers while officials review the zoning code and consider changes.
The March resolution identified concerns about noise, water consumption, utility costs, changes in land use and the capacity of public infrastructure.
Baughman said the township needs to begin the next steps soon because reviewing and adopting zoning changes can take several months.
He proposed having township legal counsel help develop language for the zoning commission to review before recommendations return to trustees. He also suggested looking at approaches other communities have taken.
Trustee Don Rowe raised possible restrictions on the size of a data center, how much water it could use and how wastewater would be handled. He also said the township should address a facility’s electricity needs and potential effects on residents’ electric costs.
Trustee Keith Sexton supported developing detailed rules and said the work would require careful consideration.
Trustees also discussed the possibility of extending the moratorium. They took no action to do so.
The original resolution directed the township administrator and zoning inspector to study the board’s concerns and prepare zoning amendments if needed. The Nov. 4 discussion did not establish how much of that review had been completed.
The township’s next regular trustees meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the township office complex, 1907 State Road.
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