Southsiders could know by the end of September if they’ll be neighbors with a Google data center.
And whether that happens is now up to the Democratic leadership on the City-County Council.
That’s because the proposal from Deep Meadow Ventures — a company that was only recently confirmed to be created by Google — requires council approval to rezone nearly 468 acres of farmland in Franklin Township. Google could also receive several tax incentives to support the project.
Thirteen councilors, including all six Republicans, have voiced their opposition to the project. The rezoning process would die if two more councilors voted against it.
President Vop Osili, Vice President Ali Brown and Majority Leader Maggie Lewis, all Democrats, have not shared their position publicly and did not respond to Mirror Indy’s request for comment.
Mirror Indy also emailed Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett’s staff and specifically asked if the data center is in the best interest of Franklin Township, and if he thinks City-County Councilors should approve the proposal even though many residents believe it could be detrimental to their health and the environment.
The response from a Hogsett spokesperson didn’t directly answer those questions.
“We are committed to doing what’s in the best interest of our residents, especially those living in Franklin Township, and will continue to evaluate this proposal carefully,” the Hogsett spokesperson said in an email. “It is important to know that multiple steps remain in the city approval process as it heads to the City-County Council.”
Data center campuses, which typically contain multiple buildings filled with computer servers, are water and energy-guzzling facilities. Franklin Township resident Meredith Sharp said Google’s secrecy and unanswered questions about energy usage and water contamination are some of the reasons she encourages residents to rally against the development.
“This is when we can be directly involved as community members,” Sharp said during an Aug. 20 Metropolitan Development Commission hearing. “Past this point, once it gets approved for rezone, we can no longer participate actively and fight back in the details of this.”
But Joseph Calderon, a lawyer representing Deep Meadow Ventures, has told residents during public hearings that the development will provide more jobs and help support advancements in technology.
“All in all, the project provides significant benefits, we think, to the community, as well as to the neighbors,” Calderon said.
After moving through two hurdles, the rezoning petition will next head to the City-County Council chambers as early as Sept. 8.
To learn how they would vote, Mirror Indy reviewed the public statements of councilors and contacted those who haven’t spoken publicly.
Here is what we know about the councilors’ positions and the next steps for the rezoning process.
What is the process for approving the land rezoning petition?
The Metropolitan Development Commission recommended rezoning the Franklin Township farmland during a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Final approval is up to the 25-member City-County Council.
Typically, the council votes on multiple rezoning proposals all at once, not separately. But many believe the development needs more public discussion.
So Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, a Republican who represents the area, said he will try to have councilors vote on the data center proposal separately when the councilors next meet on Sept. 8.
He said he will need the support of 12 other councilors to do that. Then, once the petition is voted on separately from other rezoning proposals, he said he will need 14 other councilors to kill the rezoning proposal.
Hart is against the proposal because he said it doesn’t provide enough financial incentives for the community.
“We should not be locking up one of the largest remaining land opportunities in Franklin Township for a project that offers limited jobs, reduced tax benefits and long-term restrictions on infrastructure growth,” Hart told the Metropolitan Development Commissioners during a public hearing. “We must do better for our residents, our schools and the future of the district.”
If Hart doesn’t receive enough votes for the first step, the petition will be voted on with other rezoning proposals, increasing its odds of being approved.
What happens if the petition is voted on separately?
If councilors decide to vote on the proposal separately, two representatives of Google’s Deep Meadow Ventures and two members of Protect Franklin Township, a community group against the data center, will have a private meeting, according to Hart.
The parties would meet with the City-County Council’s attorney, LeAnnette Pierce, who would try to negotiate a mutual resolution.
“These don’t happen very often,” Hart told Mirror Indy. “This is the second time I’ve done it in six years.”
If they don’t come to a resolution, the representatives of both sides will provide presentations during another public hearing before councilors are expected to vote on the development by the end of September. If that happens, Councilor Crista Carlino said she’ll lean on the presentations and community members’ comments to determine her vote.
“The public input becomes paramount for the council as we make our votes to uphold or overturn,” Carlino told Mirror Indy.
What happens if councilors don’t approve the rezoning petition?
If councilors vote against the petition, Google’s Deep Meadow Ventures, and other developers who want to rezone the land, must wait one year before they can submit a new petition.
In the meantime, the land would stay zoned as it is until another petition is submitted and approved.
Which councilors oppose the Google data center petition?
- Republican Minority Leader Brian Mowery: District 25
- John Barth: District 7
- Jesse Brown: District 13
- Andy Nielsen: District 14
- Rena Allen: District 15
- Jared Evans: District 17
- Kristin Jones: District 18
- Frank Mascari: District 19
- Michael-Paul Hart: District 20
- Joshua Bain: District 21
- Paul Annee: District 22
- Derek Cahill: District 23
- Michael Dilk: District 24
Which councilors are undecided?
Three councilors said they want the opportunity to vote on the Google data center separately but they are undecided on their final position on the project:
- Brienne Delaney: District 2
- Dan Boots: District 3
- Crista Carlino: District 11
One councilor said he’s undecided entirely:
- Ron Gibson: District 8
Councilors who didn’t respond to Mirror Indy
- President Vop Osili: District 12
- Vice President Ali Brown: District 10
- Democratic Majority Leader Maggie A. Lewis: District 5
- Councilor Leroy Robinson: District 1
- Councilor Nick Roberts: District 4
- Carlos Perkins: District 6
- Keith L. Graves: District 9
- Jessica McCormick: District 16
Roberts didn’t respond to Mirror Indy, but on social media said that he plans to announce his decision soon. He also wrote that Google should reduce its expected usage of local water and electricity.
“For example, solar panels could be installed on the roofs and all surrounding land,” Roberts wrote on Facebook. “Peaking generators could be used when grid power demand is high. Water can be chilled and recycled. Yes, it will make the installation more expensive.”
Where will the City-County Council vote on the rezoning?
All City-County Council discussions about the data center proposal will be at the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.
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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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