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NEWTON FALLS -- Village Council has approved placing a 12-month moratorium on permits for data centers while removing a former moratorium that was in place for recreational marijuana dispensaries.
Council voted 4-0 Wednesday to give emergency reading to the moratorium for data centers, which will allow village officials to use the time for research.
Third Ward Councilman Bob Burke did not attend the meeting.
First Ward Councilman Brian Kropp said there are concerns that Ohio is one of the states with the most data centers or planned facilities.
"Ohio has become one of the top states in the country for data centers," he said.
Kropp said the moratorium will allow officials to see what needs to be in place in the village if someone wanted to locate a data center there.
"This legislation is not to oppose data centers but to help our village to be prepared if someone wants to get a permit to build or bring a data center here," he said. "My concern is we are not in a prepared position to take on something of that scale or magnitude."
He said research needs to be done on data centers to see what the village would be capable of handling, what guidelines need to be in place and what environmental factors would be affected if someone wanted to bring a data center to Newton Falls.
"I just want the village to be ahead of the game," Kropp said. "Many other communities have done this that we can learn from and get information from. The moratorium will help buy us time so we can be prepared."
Kropp said the zoning code needs "to be up to speed" since Newton Falls is a small village with limited resources if faced with a large data center.
"We need to have this pause on the potential for data centers. The moratorium is for planning preparation," he said.
Kropp said there will be research and investigation by the zoning department and the village manager as well.
Kropp said he has looked at surrounding communities to gather information himself.
"This moratorium is not in opposition to data centers. It's just a planning and preparation standpoint for the village, and I think it was the right move," Kropp said.
Second Ward Councilman Brian Axiotis said while he is not aware of anyone wanting to bring a data center to the village he is against them.
He said Lordstown has faced issues since not being prepared for a data center wanting to locate there and has been in court battling the issue.
"They were not prepared and tried to stop it after the fact," Axioitis said. "I want Newton Falls to be prepared and have a leg to stand on if faced with a data center.'
Axiotis said the moratorium is a good step in the right direction to have the village prepared with zoning requirements in place regarding data centers and other facilities.
He said he would prefer a ban on data centers, but agreed with the 12-month moratorium which will let the village be prepared.
Axiotis said he has read about data centers in other communities asking for large tax abatements.
He said he would rather have a complete ban of data centers.
He also noted that he didn't see any benefits of a data center coming to Newton Falls, noting that if a company wanted to build one, he doesn't believe the village has the land to accommodate a large data center.
Kropp said the moratorium will provide the time for discussion and to gather and go over information on data centers and their effect on the community,
MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES
Council voted 4-0 to remove a moratorium placed in 2024 on permits for marijuana dispensaries in the village.
Kropp said he felt the former moratorium was used as a blocking mechanism to prevent them.
He said during the time the moratorium was in place the zoning board did not meet and really discuss marijuana dispensaries.
"It did not seem necessary to keep the moratorium in place when it was not being discussed or talked about, The moratorium was not being utilized for what it was intended for," Kropp said.
The repeal was given two readings with the first on Aug. 5 and the second Wednesday.
The temporary ban was put in place after Ohioans passed a ballot initiative in 2023 to legalize recreational cannabis statewide.
Kropp said council in 2024 passed the moratorium to research and discuss how marijuana might affect their community, but the topic was pushed to the wayside until now.
Axiotis has said he has been to other communities such as Geneva-on-the-Lake, where marijuana dispensaries bring in tax dollars.
Kropp said he believes in economic development, but believes businesses and residents may choose what other businesses to allow.