SHALERSVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Four months after plans for a massive data center development were unveiled in Portage County, the debate over the project shows no signs of slowing down.
Over the next week, several hearings and meetings at Shalersville Village Hall and the Portage County Regional Planning Commission will examine the definition of "light industrial," which is what the land was zoned for in the 1990s.
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Township officials are considering language that would define light industrial uses as projects requiring less than 25 megawatts of power, far below what the proposed Bitdeer development would need.
Bitdeer, a publicly traded company based in Singapore, aims to fill much of the 257-acre site near the Ohio Turnpike with a 15-building computing hub to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence.
RELATED: Local developer, global tech firm plan major data center project in Portage County
The company is partnering with Streetsboro-based Geis Development, part of a family-owned real estate and construction business, on what is expected to be Bitdeer's largest U.S. facility.
The first phase would span two data halls and a 51,500-square-foot office building at the southwestern end of the property.
A site plan shows 12 additional data halls in the second phase of the project, with a total capacity of 750 megawatts of power when completed. The power will help fuel artificial intelligence.
Opponents have raised concerns about power consumption, noise, dust, debris and cooling systems associated with large-scale data center operations.
"We're not saying we don't want industry in Portage County," Streetsboro property owner Jessica Winchell said. "We want it to be safe."
In addition to the proposal from Shalersville Township, a citizen-led definition of "light industrial" aims to add regulations addressing energy use, noise and other operational concerns.
Attorneys for Geis have said in documents that the township's proposal would "unnecessarily expose the Township to significant litigation risk and violate fundamental private property rights."
Bitdeer currently operates a 26-building cryptocurrency mining facility in Massillon on 31 acres. The Shalersville project would involve 257 acres.
In May, Bitdeer hosted hundreds inside a nearby warehouse for a community informational meeting.
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RELATED: Data center project team hosts Portage Co. neighbors to discuss 257-acre development
In June, residents packed Shalersville Township Hall for a three-plus-hour-long meeting about the project.
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A moratorium on data centers in Shalersville Township remains in place until early November.
On Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m., a public hearing is scheduled at Shalersville Township Hall (9090 OH-44) to discuss the township's proposed definition, with the regular trustee meeting happening afterward.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 4:30 p.m., the Portage County Regional Planning Commission will discuss zoning definition proposals from area residents and the project's attorneys.
That meeting is set to take place at the Crestwood School Board Office (10880 John Edwards Drive in Mantua).
On Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m., township trustees are expected to hold another public hearing at the township hall to discuss the proposed definition changes made by Shalersville landowners.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
