Debate over data center possibly coming to Bristol

 

BRISTOL, Ind.-- Lester Otto has been in his Washington Township home for 20 years. He is vehemently against the Town of Bristol's plans for a data center on the edge of town, just a quarter mile, or one field, from his front yard.

"There's nothing about it that's good for the neighborhood. We get no benefit, only the downside," Otto said. "I've been passing out these brochures, and here are the major points. The noise level, the property values, the water supply."

On top of concerns over noise and light pollution and property values, many are upset to see more farmland lost. Water supply is a concern, and so is power supply. The impact on wildlife and the environment in general is also of concern.

Province Group is the developer behind the zoning petition before the town council, asking to rezone 240 acres of privately owned farmland from agriculture to manufacturing, for data center use only.

"From the town's perspective, this is a game-changer," said Town Manager Mike Yoder. "It's a game-changer for more than the town. This is a potential $1 billion investment. That's more than double the entire assessed value of the community right now."

Yoder does believe, though, that all concerns are addressed. He said there would be no new traffic to County Road 23, and the buyer promised to mitigate noise and light pollution. And it would provide roughly 150 high-paying jobs.

"There's really not very much negative about this project, although some people outside of town have raised concerns," Yoder said.

The rezoning passed on its first reading and will get a final vote Thursday night.

However, the buyer would still need a commitment from utility company NIPSCO to extend a power line to the data center.

In fact, Yoder said Bristol is facing a power shortage, so the buyer may have to get power elsewhere and have it delivered on that NIPSCO line.

These are among the unanswered questions still lingering as the development process unfolds.

For one, the town does not who the buyer is. Yoder said this is not unusual, but it's still infuriating for people like Otto.

"I mean, is it Mr. Nice guy Sam, or is it Jack the Ripper? We don't know. Or is it anybody in between? We don't know who's coming. And they won't divulge that," Otto said.

It's also too early to know if there will be any tax incentives, Yoder said. However, the buyer is expected to identify itself if/when any incentive requests come in.

"We also have to figure out how that company is going to build out the new road and build out the water and sewer to that site," Yoder said. "Most likely, this will go into a tax incremental financing district, a TIF district."

And if the rezoning does not pass?

"Then it's still ag land," Yoder said. "Unfortunately for the neighbors, what will happen is the owners will come back with a detailed plan unit develop for M1 or manufacturing uses."

He said this could mean something like an RV plant, which he argues would be much more disruptive than a data center.

Thursday's Town Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Bristol Community Church.

Otto hopes to have a great showing to protest the zoning changes, but Yoder told ABC57's Annie Kate he's almost 100 percent certain it will be a yes vote.