Starke County has approved a ban on data center development.
An ordinance approved by the county commissioners Monday prohibits commercial data centers from all zoning districts in unincorporated areas of Starke County. It cites concerns about extreme water consumption, strain on the electrical grid and low-frequency noise.
Director of Planning and Building John McCurrie told the commissioners that data centers have been met with widespread opposition during public meetings. “The large [meeting] last year at the auditorium — we’ve [also] had multiple people speaking up about data centers throughout meetings that have nothing to do with data centers. It’s pretty unanimous. The public is against it,” McCurrie said.
Neighboring Marshall County approved a data center ban earlier this year, while one is currently being discussed in St. Joseph County. Starke County had paused data center development last year, before this week’s outright ban.
