The Pittsboro Town Council has passed a unanimous vote to transform over 600 acres of local farmland into the future site of a data center. The decision, which was made yesterday night, follows on the heels of a favorable 4-1 vote by the town's Advisory Planning Commission last month, as reported by FOX59. With the rezoning approved, the region west of County Road 500 East, nestled between County Roads 850 North and 1000 North, is set to transition from agricultural to industrial warehouse use.
In a meeting that failed to include public discussion, Pittsboro council members elected to move forward with the rezoning plan, a decision which has been met with both support and resistance. Tensions were palpable in a room where some local residents left in frustration due to the closed nature of the proceedings. Lyndsay Grimes, a Hendricks County resident, told WTHR, "This will ruin this small, wonderful tight-knit community that has managed to stay this way for a very long time."
Despite the controversy, the council's decision paves the way for Vantage Data Centers, a Colorado-based firm, to develop the 285-acre data storage facility, with the remainder of the acreage reserved for future development. The data center is projected to bring about 100 jobs to the area, and Vantage Data Centers has put forward that traffic will only minimally increase as a result. Concerning the impact on local property values, Town Council member Terry Northern expressed optimism to WISH-TV, stating, "I think their property values are going to ultimately go up."
Detailed site plans are still pending approval, and the council will need to acquire necessary easements for infrastructure, as well as determine future tax incentives for the project. Throughout the process, Vantage Data Centers has maintained that the data center will not have any "adverse effect" on property values nearby, according to the rezoning petition highlighted by FOX59.
