Opponents of a proposed data center rezoning near New Carlisle say they’re confident it lacks the votes to pass Tuesday night. But they still held a press conference Tuesday to refute claims made Monday by supporters at their own press event.
”We expect and are determined to get a “NO” vote," said Steve Francis with the group Citizens for Responsible Development. "I think that we have the votes and we’re confident that we will defeat this third data center.”
Joining him Tuesday at a press conference outside the County-City Building Council Chambers were Brian Will, with the South Bend-Elkhart chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby, Sinai Synagogue Rabbi Michael Friedland, and New Carlisle citizen activist Dan Caruso.
”They’ve brought in outside political groups from Virginia," Francis said. "They’re bringing in canvassers from Nebraska to work our neighborhoods. We are a grassroots group of local citizens all over the county, not just out in New Carlisle, who oppose the data center. We have enough data centers in St. Joe County, where we’re saying enough is enough.”
On Monday a bipartisan group of elected officials from the county, South Bend and Mishawaka joined organized labor leaders for a press conference at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers who say they welcome the jobs. But critics say those are mostly construction jobs, and that the permanent jobs created are minimal relative to the impacts they cause to the environment, the power grid and water resources.
