Public expresses feelings of betrayal as developer defends investment, requests additional rezoning
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(Editor’s note: This is a companion piece to another article concerning data centers, which may be found here.)
Since the announcement of a planned data center coming to Kokomo, the public has seethed with anger at city government. Once Mayor Tyler Moore disclosed the plan to bring a 1.5 gigawatt center, bringing more than $1 billion in investment, the discourse darkened.
People went from pleading against data centers to explicit accusations of dishonesty and feelings of betrayal. The vitriol spilled out at the Oct. 5 meeting of the Kokomo Common Council, and the community was not assuaged by an “open house” conducted by the developer on Oct. 10.
By the time that local Realtor Paul Wyman arrived at the microphone at a meeting of the Kokomo Plan Commission on Oct. 13, it was clear that his request for additional industrial rezonings surrounding the proposed data center site would face the same opposition.
But the council was the first to take a tongue lashing from the community on Oct. 5. As it opened the floor for public comment on proposed wage increases for the council and the mayor, disappointed citizens lined up to unload their frustrations.
“We all feel so very lied to, and so very deceived by people that we literally run into constantly,” said resident Mercedes Lahr. “I wanted someone to be able to come and calmly say to you, not on some Facebook page, not at some rally, not at some very tiny coffee gathering, to say, guys, we all saw it.
“We all tried to talk to you about it. We know you were trying to have a very specific ordinance conversation, but we came to you out of concern, not for big data, but for our community, for our neighbors, for you, for your grandchildren, for us, for our children, we wanted to be able to have an honest conversation with you.”
Lahr referenced the months of remonstration that took place in front of the council and the Kokomo Plan Commission over the past nine months. Repeatedly, the community was told by council members that there was no data center project in the works. Few believed the claims, and that skepticism proved justified.
Still, some residents were willing to give small consideration to the possibility that the council was left in the dark alongside the community.
“Mayor Moore has led a campaign of deceit against us since February of this year, and you are all either in on it or lying to us,” said resident Thomas Sharp. “If you have been bamboozled, you don’t deserve a raise.”
Whitney Sievertson said she wanted to call a performance review on the mayor and characterized the council members as victims alongside the public on the data center issue.
“I’m sorry you have been made proxy to Tyler Moore’s accountability,” said Sievertson. “I wish that accountability fell to the responsible instead of us in this room, none of whom can fix it alone. We were all deliberately lied to, not just us down here, but all of you up there too.
“Talk to Tyler Moore, please. Talk to him as a person, as what’s realistic for you in a way that currently isn’t for us is to speak to him and actually be heard. Advocate for us. We do not accept being lied to. What happens in this city is decided by all of us through a process of transparency. That is called democracy. That is a right that is not being afforded to you or us.”
Anecdotes have surfaced over the past few days that the mayor is reaching out over social media to individuals who post their displeasure over his recent performance. However, he has made no public statement since the announcement of the data center at his “State of the City” address at the end of September.
The open house that took place at Big Ben Coffee on Oct. 10 drew more than 100 concerned citizens to the little café. Digital Realty and Wyman were there to plead their case and cover the cost of a coffee and snack. While a few disruptions bubbled to the surface over the two-hour event, the crowd remained tense, yet civil, in general terms.
The Lantern was able to interview a representative from Digital Realty at the event. That discussion can be read in the companion article to this piece.
While the company promised to hold additional open houses to further educate the public on Digital Realty and its data center model, Wyman was busy preparing for the next step in bringing industry to the area. That work came to light at the plan commission meeting on Oct. 13.
Wyman proposed the rezoning of 14 parcels of land, comprising roughly 450 acres adjacent to the data center development. This brings the community’s industrial-zoned property inventory to approximately 600 acres.
“There is other interest in this property, not just Digital Realty,” said Wyman. “I would anticipate that you all will hear some more information about that as we go forward.”
Wyman focused on areas adjacent to the planned data center, hoping to “finish the rectangle” and rezone the area for further industrial investment.
“After the investment from Digital Realty, this will leave us with about 600 acres of zoned industrial property that we can say again, we’re open for business,” said Wyman. “It could be utilized for future expansion of suppliers. It could be utilized for future expansion, possibly of Digital Realty. It could be used for future expansion of anything that Stellantis now may be interested in doing.”
Wyman defended Digital Realty on some common issues that arise around data centers. The developer depicted Digital Realty as a significant outlier, confirming literally none of the problems that exist with many data centers across the country.
“You’re talking about a company that’s going to use less water than a golf course, less water than our hospitals, less water than our school systems,” said Wyman. “It’s pretty impressive the technologies they have today when it comes to water.
“They also have reached an agreement with Duke Energy in the city that they will pay 100 percent of the increase cost to bring any utility upgrade necessary to provide power to the data center.”
Wyman also defended the company and the city by pointing to Kokomo’s ordinance on sound pollution, insisting that Digital Realty won’t exceed the 50-decibel sustained noise limit. Then, he went a step further and proposed that local schools should benefit directly from the data center.
“Inside of state code, it allows for the taxation mechanism, TIF district, to share up to 15 percent of the revenue received on taxes with all county schools,” said Wyman.
A Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district is established so that property taxes paid within the district are captured and redirected to redevelopment and infrastructure costs within the affected area. In Indiana, up to three percent of the revenue may be allocated to a given school district. With five public school systems in Howard County, Wyman’s supposition is that each would receive a full share to reach the 15-percent claim. Then, he added that Digital Realty is a promoter of education.
“Digital Realty has a history of going into the school systems, working with schools on pathways into community colleges,” said Wyman. “You’re going to see an incredible partnership with Ivy Tech and our local colleges and our local school systems in working on programs that provide opportunities for students and pathways to certifications, degrees in the technology industry, with the hopes that they will end up here.”
As has been the case at every turn, members of the community responded with remonstrance against the rezoning, once again opposing new data centers or expansion of the currently proposed development. Honesty, again, took center stage.
“Now that the proposed development has been identified as a data center, after months of saying it was not, I believe the commission should evaluate this rezoning in light of that specific intended use and its anticipated impacts,” said resident Rebecca Dunlap. “Residents deserve clear, transparent answers.
“As we are standing here trying to assess the credibility of the information provided, let’s pause a moment. Let’s ask ourselves who in this room stands to benefit or gain the most. Mr. Wyman, undoubtedly, will benefit the most financially. We are talking about utilities and infrastructure, and we hear vague reassurances that these utilities are going to pay for all upgrades, all infrastructure. What binds them to do so, other than a vague promise from Mr. Wyman, who, keep in mind, stands to benefit financially?
“I have no problem with people that make money. What I do have problems with are people who pretend and ignore and obfuscate and hide the environmental impact that this potentially may have on our community for decades.”
Dunlap openly questioned why the city, if it knew that a data center was being considered, did not clearly communicate the fact to the public, especially when specifically asked about it. She claimed that the community has a right to know about developments that may impact water resources, air quality, noise, and other aspects of daily life.
The plan commission listened to all of the comments and then voted unanimously to recommend rezoning of the properties. The cases now advanced to the city council, which should hear the ordinances on first reading on Oct. 26. The council meets at 6 p.m. on that date in the council chambers at City Hall. An informational meeting takes place at 5:30 p.m., prior to the session.