Any data centers the town of Merrillville would like to court will have to wait a year for an invitation, town leaders have decided.
After hosting the first of two public informational meetings about a project it’s considering last week, the Merrillville Town Council at its Tuesday night meeting voted unanimously to impose a one-year moratorium on approving any data center projects in town.
The moratorium is set for June 1 through May 31, 2027, according to the motion.
Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6, the biggest data-center proponent on the council, said a conversation with one of the investors of another business in his district, Polycon Industries, convinced him to consider the moratorium.
Even though Polycon and another business in the town’s so-called panhandle, Modern Forge, have been good, safe neighbors to the residents in the 6th, their extreme concern over data centers can’t be ignored wholesale.
“I’ve always said when I got elected, they’re the bosses. They elect us, we work for them, and we’re the guardians and the stewards of the tax dollars, and we need to be fiscally responsible,” Pettit said. “If (residents) don’t want it, they don’t want it. It’s that simple. You know, I’m not going to try and convince them from a financial standpoint. I don’t know that that’s necessarily our job. We just need to listen to the residents.
“We’ve talked about the utilities, we’ve talked about the noise, the environment; obviously, there’s a huge financial benefit, but I think the seven of us need to put our heads together with (Clerk Treasurer) Eric (January) and (Town Manager) Michael (Griffin). I think we can figure some things out. The allocation areas that are going to generate a great deal of revenue with some of the larger developments we’ve seen in town, and I think we need to tap into that here in the coming months, because we know we have a shortfall. But I think I’d rather do it that way than, you know, get something the residents don’t want.”
Council President Rick Bella, D-5, said the moratorium also gives town leaders time to watch how hyperscale data centers affect other communities.
“Merrillville is in a unique position because we have the opportunity to closely observe a major data center campus currently under construction in our neighboring community of Hobart,” Bella said. “Rather than rushing into decisions, we believe it is responsible to take time to
study the facts, evaluate real-world impacts and learn from a project developing right next door before determining what may or may not be appropriate for Merrillville.”
Councilwoman Shauna Haynes-Edwards, D-2, said she would rather town officials focus on other items that attract families to a place, such as small businesses.
“I believe we must carefully consider the environmental impact that large-scale data centers can have on our community, including concerns surrounding energy consumption, water usage, noise, and the long-term strain on local infrastructure,” she said in a text to the Post-Tribune Wednesday.
“Merrillville has already carried the weight of industrial growth for many years. We have enough factories and industrial spaces throughout our town, and I believe our residents deserve balance.
“This is not about politics or elections for me. It is about choosing what is right for the long-term future of Merrillville. Other communities may choose to welcome additional data centers, and that is their decision. But I believe Merrillville should focus on becoming a destination that prioritizes people, neighborhoods, and meaningful community development over continued industrial expansion; after all, we are the Heart of the Region.”
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Residents Jennifer Gross and Pablo Payan thanked the council for the moratorium, while Bryon Mesarch said he was disappointed by it.
Merrillville joins several other government entities pumping the brakes on data centers. The Citizens Action Coalition announced earlier this month that it and 26 other public interest organizations across Indiana are calling on local governments to enact data center moratoriums on new data center development, permitting and construction to allow local governments more time to adopt policies and regulations to protect Hoosiers, the Post-Tribune reported.
Thirteen Indiana counties have enacted data center moratoriums, including Fulton, Marshall and Starke counties.
Merrillville will continue to have Citizen Advisory Committee meetings about data centers, including one presented by the Northwest Indiana Forum at 5:30 p.m. June 11 at the Dean and Barbara White Center, 6600 Broadway.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.