Carol Engh moved to Franklin Township in the late 1990s because she wanted the serenity of living across from a farm.
But now she worries her home could get a front row seat to years of noisy construction before multiple five-story tech buildings become her new viewpoint.
“I don’t want to move, but I don’t want to live across the street from a data center,” said Engh, who lives on Troy Avenue near Beech Grove.
That’s the dilemma for many longtime residents in Franklin and Warren townships who have considered parting ways with their beloved neighborhoods if they can’t stop the development of a proposed data center, which could take up to a decade to construct. In March, a limited liability company called Deep Meadow Ventures submitted a petition to Indianapolis to rezone 468 acres near Post Road and Troy Avenue to construct a data center campus with several buildings.
Among the zoning issues are the proposed height of the buildings, the close distance they’d be from the street and concerns about environmental contamination.
The Franklin Township Civic League, a nine-member volunteer group, considered the proposal May 21 to help decide whether to write a letter of support to the city. About 40 people attended, many of whom aired frustrations and concerns. They ranged from inquiries about tree removal, potential impacts to well water and whether the community would have to foot the bill for additional electricity used to power the facility.
The buildings would store computer servers that are crucial for information technology infrastructure. It’s a growing industry in the U.S. but one that comes with environmental and health concerns related to contaminated water and increased energy usage.
Neighbors against the rezoning have also rallied to create the Protect Franklin Township Facebook group and an online petition with 2,550 signatures as of May 27.
Community concerns
A data center development boom has swept the nation, targeting areas with large plots of land. Nearly 30 data facilities have been proposed in Indiana over the past year, according to Citizens Action Coalition, a statewide environmental advocacy group.
Some community members are at a crossroads over whether they should support or oppose the petition. They like that the tech business venture could lead to more job opportunities. But some wonder about the number of positions that would be available, as well as the salaries for more accessible jobs in the blue collar area, such as secretary and maintenance staff.
Additionally, people are frustrated over what they claim is a lack of transparency from the developer. The company, which was formed in Delaware by a registered agent in Indianapolis, has provided limited information about this specific proposal’s potential health, environmental and economic impacts. Such companies often form in Delaware for tax purposes.
Neighbors are also uneasy because it’s unclear who is behind Deep Meadow Ventures. The business listing with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office doesn’t list staff names, and no executives have come forward to speak at the public meetings.
The facility could also require additional infrastructure such as power substations and water towers from local utility companies, but it’s unclear how much that would increase utility bills. A lawyer for Deep Meadow Ventures repeatedly said at the May 21 meeting that neighbors won’t see bill hikes.
Aside from who actually would foot those bills, residents such as Meredith Sharp are worried the new facility could impact community resources.
“I’m 100% stopping the data center,” Sharp said to Mirror Indy after the meeting. “I don’t know what that looks like, but I’m stopping it.”
Sharp, who grows plants for her line of natural skincare products, said water and land contamination could be dire for her family’s livelihood and the well-being of her six employees.
“I’m worried about the water usage of the data center drying up our well, and I won’t be able to farm my plants for my products,” said Sharp, who would only live a few blocks from the buildings. “Then I don’t have an income, and I have to let my team go. So that would be a devastating blow to my family.”
When asked for clarification about aspects of the application, Joseph D. Calderon, a lawyer with Indianapolis-based Barnes & Thornburg and the petitioner for Deep Meadow Ventures, told Mirror Indy on May 21 that he’s not speaking to the media about the project.
Developer’s response
On May 21, Deep Meadow Ventures responded to a list of 80 questions community members previously sent to the developer.
Land Use Chair Cathy Burton said the group recently sent the developer a draft of potential commitments they would like the developer to follow if their application is approved by the city. She noted the land use committee wasn’t speaking on behalf of neighbors and their concerns.
Calderon said he and his client are still reviewing the document.
During the Franklin Township Civic League meeting, Calderon and Todd Cunningham, a civil engineer with Ohio-based EMH&T, spoke on behalf of Deep Meadow Ventures. They shared updates that were recently made to the rezoning petition based on the community’s concerns.
Deep Meadow Ventures’ original proposal requested approval to construct buildings that are nearly four stories higher than city development standards, and as close to the property line as they would like. After listening to feedback from neighbors, the developer has committed to making the buildings on streets such as Troy Avenue, Davis Road and Vandergriff Road shorter and farther away from neighbors.
To address worries about storm water management, Cunningham said the developer’s plans now include the creation of a basin that would collect drainage from the site and send it to Miller Ditch, instead of it flowing east toward homeowners.
The land use committee postponed voting on whether to recommend the proposal to the city until they’ve had more time to review the updates. Either way, the recommendation isn’t legally binding.
What’s next
A data center isn’t the only type of facility listed in the rezoning petition.
Regardless of whether Deep Meadow Ventures is approved to operate on the land, the rezoning application would clarify which types of building could be constructed on the property, such as light manufacturing or a research center.
The final decision on the application could also help set precedent for future developments as more local farmers retire and sell their properties.
Community members will have multiple opportunities to comment about the Deep Meadow Ventures’ rezoning petition throughout June.
The Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development will host a land use meeting from 5:30-8 p.m. June 10 at the Franklin Road Branch of the city library, 5550 S. Franklin Road.
The Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development’s hearing examiner will consider the project at 1 p.m. June 12 at City-County Building.
The Franklin Township Civic League Land Use Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the Civic League Building, 8822 Southeastern Ave. The next meeting is June 18, and the group is expected to discuss the petition.
A correction was made on June 24, 2025: This article has been updated to correctly note the proposed data center’s location is near Post Road and Troy Avenue.
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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