Township Trustee Chuck Hoecherl said there are no active plans or proposals for a data center in Monclova.
MONCLOVA, Ohio — Some Monclova Township residents say they’re frustrated and uneasy after learning township trustees added new zoning language this spring that could open the door for data centers to move in.
The change, approved March 31, allows data centers as a conditional use in areas zoned for agriculture. That means any proposal would still need approval from the township’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
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Township Trustee Chuck Hoecherl said there are no active plans or proposals for a data center in Monclova. He said the text amendment was meant to prepare for potential projects in the future, not to approve one now.
“There’s nothing specific that’s been proposed,” Hoecherl said. “If something does come forward, we’ll have a conversation and decide if it’s best for the community.”
Still, some residents, like lifelong township resident Debbie Stevens-Laux, worry that even the possibility of a data center could affect property values and the character of the rural area.
“I haven’t heard from a single resident who supports it,” Stevens-Laux said. “I just want to see residents’ opinions, their property and our community values protected.”
The debate mirrors others across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. In recent months, townships like Richfield and Dundee have faced similar backlash over potential data center developments, while Oregon and Wood County have moved ahead with projects, including Meta’s large-scale facility now under construction in Middleton Township.
Lucas County’s economic development director, Matt Heyrman, confirmed that no new data center projects are currently planned in the western part of the county.
“There is not a data center company today that has made an offer on land or is moving forward with a project in this area,” Heyrman said.
For now, township leaders say they’re keeping an open mind and promise any future proposals would go through a public process.