St. Joseph and Elkhart county officials are taking differing approaches to regulating data centers.
This week in Elkhart County, the plan commission voted unanimously to adopt standards for data centers with buildings that are at least 50,000 square feet, as updates to the county’s development ordinance. Data center buildings would have to be set back at least 250 feet from property lines if they’re next to homes or schools. Vibrations or concussions from data centers, the kind of sound you can feel rather than hear, couldn’t be detectable off-site.
Sounds you can hear couldn’t be louder than 60 decibels from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or louder than 45 decibels at night.
It’s a different story In St. Joseph County, where the Amazon and Microsoft data centers are already approved. There, on Tuesday at 1:30, the area plan commission will hold a public hearing on an ordinance banning any more hyperscale data centers in unincorporated parts of the county.
The county council in September voted 6-3 to direct area plan to develop the ban, and it would come back to the council for a final vote.
