McDONALD — Members of the village administration traveled recently to New Albany to meet with officials there regarding the data centers located in the community near Columbus.

Mayor Ray Lewis, Village Councilman Brian Bosheff and Tom Colarich, a member of the board of zoning appeals, visited New Albany and shared the information they learned about data centers at Wednesday’s council meeting.

The three went as part of the Lake to River Economic Development, which had a group from Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties traveling to gain information on data centers.

Lewis said they met with Jennifer Chrysler, director of community economic development for New Albany, and learned what that city has done where there are more than 40 data centers located.

The group went on a tour of the New Albany business district.

Lewis said there are 40-plus data centers with 28 more to be under construction. He said there has been $54 billion in private investments from the center in the community.

He said the data centers there have provided 27,000 full-time jobs with income tax from those jobs covering more than 80% of the city’s general fund.

Lewis said if McDonald had this amount of income tax it would be beneficial to the community.

He said in New Albany the data centers have provided numerous community grants.

Lewis said New Albany is currently constructing a $50 million police and fire community space building which is being funded 100% by private investment funds.

Lewis said officials told them they have seen a 40% population growth since 2010.

He said they noticed many residential homes and condos being built and a bike and walking trail in New Albany.

“One thing you did not see was ‘For Sale’ signs. Everything I assumed about data centers did not exist in New Albany,” Lewis said.

He said New Albany officials said they have only had four noise complaints with the data centers in 15 years. Lewis said they were informed there were no air quality issues or pollution, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency,

Lewis said the data centers were in areas with other companies and businesses and restaurants such as Bob Evans.

“They told us not to do moratoriums because that not only tells data centers, but other companies they are not welcome,” Lewis said. “They did recommend we have zoning guidelines in place for regulating data centers before someone submits a site plan. They told us should a data center want to locate in the community there needs to be regulations.”

He said he and the others gained first-hand knowledge about data centers and not what they have read on various online sites. The visit, he added, was beneficial.

Lewis said information is available at datacenters.newalbany.org

NO PLANS SUBMITTED

Lewis said no company has submitted site plans for a data center or other business to be in the village.

“I want the village to be prepared if a business wants to locate and develop in McDonald. I do not want to be the community that misses out on what could be the biggest opportunity we ever saw in this valley,” said Lewis, who indicated he is not for or against a data center until he gets all the information.

Bosheff, who serves on the village planning commission, said he had many questions to ask New Albany officials about data centers and felt he learned more than what he had previously known.

He said what he has seen and read on the internet or on social media is not what he saw in New Albany.

“If you have any questions about them it is important that we do our research. Go and see these places for yourself,” Bosheff said.

He said he is asking people to be informed on data centers.

Bosheff said a planning commission meeting will be take place.

Colarich said McDonald needs a strong, sustainable tax base to count on to move into the future.

“It is important that we take the issue of data centers seriously and thank you for all the work that is being done to research them,” he said.

He said there is a lot of misinformation out there on data centers.

Village Administrator Thomas Domitrovich and Fire Chief Fred Marcum thanked officials for learning more about data centers since there have been so many questions and research being done by local officials.

“You were able to see the technology first-hand in New Albany,” Domitrovich said.

Marcum said it is important that officials learn all they can about the pros and cons of data centers.