CANTON, Ohio — As several proposed data center projects advance across Stark County, some residents say they're worried about what the developments could mean for the rural communities they call home.
One project is already moving ahead on Faircrest Street Southwest in Perry Township. The site was approved by the Stark County Regional Planning Commission and is being developed by Panattoni Development Company. Earlier this year, the developer held a public meeting outlining plans for a 240-megawatt data center.
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But residents living near that site, and two additional proposed locations in Canton, say they still have unanswered questions.
"The unknown is the scary part," said Canton Township resident Samuel Smith.
Smith said he and his neighbors were drawn to the area because of its rural character. "We love the country, we love the birds singing, we love the wind," he said.
For longtime resident Lois Croston, development has already begun creeping closer to home.
"The City of Canton has annexed land right up to our property lines," Croston said. She worries that large-scale development could disrupt the natural environment around her property.
"All this is part of nature, and all of this is going to be disturbed, and this is our lives," she said. Other residents have expressed concerns about potential environmental and health impacts.
"I'm concerned about the air pollution, the health effects of living close to one of these hyperscale data centers," said Susan Dazey.
Those concerns have helped fuel a grassroots effort to slow future development.
Residents are collecting signatures for a proposed statewide ballot initiative that would allow Ohio voters to decide whether to ban large-scale data centers.
"In Stark County, we need a little over 18,000 signatures for a comfort zone," said Brenda Parsons, the Stark County lead for the petition effort.
Parsons acknowledged the challenge ahead. "We are working hard. We have a long way to go, and yes, we need a miracle because people are just totally oblivious," she said.
In April, Canton Township trustees approved a moratorium on new data centers seeking to operate within the township.
Meanwhile, the City of Canton confirmed it has received plans for proposed data centers on Millerton Street SE and Orchardview Drive SE.
City officials say those proposals remain in the planning stages, and it is still unclear whether either project will ultimately move forward.
For neighbors watching the process unfold, uncertainty remains their biggest concern as discussions about data center development continue across Stark County.
