Chillicothe Mayor and Electronics Worker Address Data Center Concerns

Jeff McCarty and Mayor Luke Feeney speak at Chillicothe Council

Before Chillicothe Council passed a 60-day “data center moratorium” in that night’s session, Mayor Luke Feeney reviewed the city’s effort to learn more since the announcement on July 2nd. And, one of the public speakers addressed what he said was disinformation on data centers.

Mayor Luke Feeney spent most of his briefing to council covering the buildup to this legislation. He said that over the last couple of months, the city has asked the community to share questions and concerns on the subject – what would Chillicothe look like if it had a data center?

He said that council’s committee on the issue had done fine work, including looking around the state for background research.

Feeney said that he and the Law Director recognized that this kind of law is specific, so they retained legal counsel to weigh community and business concerns, Bricker Graydon Wyatt of Columbus. That is the same law firm that represented the city a few years ago in shaping the legal framework for new development in Green Township.

He said that council also wanted to know what the city’s new “Unified Development Code” (recently revised from zoning and other codes) says about data centers – which is nothing. So, he said the city needs to know what the code needs, to guide them on this topic – for the planning commission, building department, zoning department, and city council.

Feeney said the data center moratorium is an action that is popular across country, but usually for six months or a year. He said Chillicothe’s 60 days is an opportunity to pause and make sure the city’s rules and priorities are codified.

Implying that a moratorium is not too late, the mayor said the city has not received any applications yet – a zoning or a building permit – and neither has the Ohio EPA.

He said that there are so many uncertainties about data centers that they need to pause and be thoughtful, and have an accelerated conversation to map out how to proceed. The 60-day time frame gives council the opportunity to pause, talk, have conversations, and get adequate public input, to make the process transparent and seek input from any stakeholders.

Feeney said the city’s action is not pro- or anti-data center, but pro-community and pro-community voice.

The mayor pointed out that the city has experience with moratoriums, with their one-year cannabis dispensary moratorium in 2025.

In the public address portion of the council session, local resident and landowner Jeff McCarty offered a perspective as someone who has been involved in building data centers as they evolved over his 45 year career.

He said the industry has been evolving, including reducing noise levels and developing closed-loop cooling that does not use large amounts of water.

Read his script and outline of his address that he shared with me (and which he said he used AI to assist with writing), below.

Hear him in council’s YouTube or Facebook Live video, starting at 26:10.

Read about passage of the data center moratorium in my main story. And, learn more in my other previous stories on the issue:

See also news stories on data center issues in Pickaway County and elsewhere, on the Scioto Post.

Find the article on the Scioto Post. 

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.

Feeney explains the effort leading up to the moratorium.

Jeff McCarty’s text for his address to council:

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Jeff McCarty’s outline for his address to council:

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