Letter to the Editor: Findlay Data Centers

BY ANNE COLE

I am writing you today as a concerned citizen of  Findlay and Hancock County.  I have become disheartened with the way many things in our community are being handled and I feel called to express my feelings – primarly in regard to the underhanded, shady ways that decisions are being made, particularly when it comes to data centers.

I watched the last Council meeting and saw and heard our Mayor point blank tell everyone that she “had had some inquiries but nothing solid” in Findlay becoming home to a data center.  She then expressed that Findlay has a zoning law against these and we shouldn’t worry.  WITHIN THE WEEK the news broke about a data center being interested in Allen Township.  You will never convince me that our Mayor didn’t know this – NEVER!   Sure, it’s not in the city but if it happens in Allen Township that land will eventually be annexed into the city, the zoning will be changed and wala!  We now have a data center in the city.  This will be just like the Sheetz annexation that is currently underway.  Interestingly enough, one of our Commissioner candidates’ family owns the Allen Township parcels currently being looked at but she sat in the Hancock County Republican Central Committee and said there needs to be “more discussion and more research into data centers.”  Really?  Follow the money!

Just yesterday, after making a post on Facebook, I received a phone call from a

Washington Township farmer’s wife who told me that their township is even further along in a data center plan.  Apparently there are 367 acres on the north side of Washington Twp Road 218 that have been in a trust for several years and the trust indicates that these acres will be farmed by the farmer and his family indefinitely.  Last fall this farmer was approached by Lee Lochetfeld from  NorthCoast Gas.  Lee pitched his deal, stating that the land would be used for a power generating center, and then added “and then the dominos will fall.”  After discussion, the farmer told him NO.  That’s when Mr. Lochetfeldt contacted the two Findlay attorneys (Tom Drake and Dave Keunzli) , trustees of the farm Trust, and they then entered into negotiations with Mr. Lochetfeld.   

I immediately contacted Rod Phillips to discuss whether this Washington Township land was the same land that had been discussed on the Hancock County Conservative Action FB page.  Rod confirmed that indeed, it was not!  So now we have two problems!

I then contacted the two commissioners that I know personally, Tim Bechtol and Jeff Hunker, to ask them if they were aware of these Washington Township negotiations.  They, in fact, KNEW NOTHING and both were caught off guard that this was happening.  So here again, this is shady and underhanded when the data center people and the trust attorneys did all this without involving the Commissioners OR the public!  I understand that land can be and is sold every day without Commissioner approval, BUT when it involves 367 acres of farmland in an agricultural township that no one knows about until it’s too late?  THIS IS WRONG.

What will happen to OUR water rates, OUR power rates, OUR farmland, not to mention the constant hum of these centers, AND all of the businesses that do business with the farmer?  

I am pleading that our City and our County STEP UP and stop these from coming in AND the people who are making the deals behind everyone’s back should be ashamed of themselves – all of this for the almighty dollar and who will look like the hero.  It’s disgusting.

Finally, there are currently data centers being built near Bowling Green and there’s one in Lima – HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS DO THEY NEED?  

I SAY NO TO DATA CENTERS, anywhere in our county and Council and the Commissioners, as well as Township Trustees, need to get busy and put MORATORIUMS in place NOW!

With great concern, 

Anne Cole