With just a 72 hour Change of Venue notice to the move the City Council Meeting to the High School, over 250 Residents attended the Hobart City Council Meeting on January 7th, 2026 regarding Tax Abatement for the 15 Billion Dollar Amazon Data Center Development in Hobart Indiana. The Plan Commission has approved the change in zoning from R-3 (residential) to M-1 (light industrial.) The designation of M-1 is questionable, as several experts state a Data Center is not a “Light Industrial Entity” and should be classified as a a Heavy Industry M-3 Classification. (Click here for Hobart’s Zoning documents)
Approximately 30 citizens spoke, but the Council announced they will not be answering any questions, due to a pending lawsuit. Mics were turned off after each speaker reached two minutes. Folks were greeted with around 15 Police Officers who scanned and patted down every visitor, and had to walk completely around the gymnasium to get to the auditorium.There were no comments spoken from the Council or their representatives, only statements from citizens were allowed.
At the meeting, many folks asked for the Decision to be tabled of given more time. Time to get site plans and also questions answered.
According to Mayor Josh Huddlestun, the city will receive $47 million upfront cash from Amazon if the plans go forward to build the Data Center at 61st and Colorado. Additional monies will be received the first year, and future years from Amazon, that total four times the cities general fund budget.
“The developer is also paying 100 percent of the infrastructure costs. These are improvements that would have eventually fallen on our utility customers and taxpayers as they needed to be done absent this development, but now they are fully covered by the developer,” stated Huddlestun on several Facebook posts. It is important to note that there are two developments being discussed, which will eventually include 25 buildings in total.
The No Data Centers Group has several objections, one of which there are no site plans being presented. In addition, many answers to their questions about the kind of equipment being installed have also never been answered. There are special kinds of equipment that help prevent ground pollution, increased traffic, air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, ELF pollution and light pollution. None of these issues have have been addressed. The only statement coming from the city is that there will be “berms” installed.
Other issues include the loss of property value, impacts on the environment, health issues to folks with COPD, Astma, Autism, and many other health issues.
According to Professor Nicholas Brasovan, PhD’s Research (11/6/25) on Hobart Data Centers, there are several issues to consider. As far as cooling down the intense heat required, there are several options such as Air Conditioning which use a closed-loop system or an Open Cooling Towers that must continually draw fresh water for replacement. “Google’s hyperscale Data Center used an average of 550,000 gallons of water daily over the past year, totally approximately 200 MILLION GALLONS annually,” Plus, this equipment “has a relatively short livespan, usually gets depreciated every 3-5 years,” the report states. At this point all the used equipment is toxic waste that must be removed properly. More info on water usage can be found here
“If not intensely scrutinized and monitored, the site poses significant risks of water-resource depletion and pollution. (Discharge management, on-site power production). Even with permitting appropriate to an M1 light industrial site, the data center poses threats beyond compliance. (note AWS being cited in New Carlisle for breaching regulations). The environmental permitting and infrastructure requirements for M1 light industrial sites may very well be insufficient for responsibly breaking ground for this industry (and washing one’s hands). Local concerns of well-water degradation and regional concerns of water source sustainability are legitimate concerns, and must be core considerations when assessing the appropriate zoning, permitting, and resource management,” the report states. (this Report is not available online, but can be located on the Facebook Group page)
Professor Brasovan also goes into the use of electricity required. The estimates from the New Carlisle Indiana site “will consume 2.2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power a million homes,” (New York Times). “Given the footprint and environmental pollution that is associated with data centers, Hobart residents have legitimate concerns about the values of their properties. What detailed studies have been done to ensure that property values in adjacent Hobart neighborhoods will not drop as a result of an industrial-grade data center in that location?
Even though Amazon has promised to pay for all the infrastructure, they will be working with a third party. The report goes on to say, “Data center energy demands put an extreme amount of stress on our existing grid. The data center can’t just tie into the existing grid without infrastructural development. Investment in power-source and grid upgrades is needed to support the data center. Who subsidizes these upgrades? A recent Harvard Law School study has demonstrated that local utility users’ energy bills increase in areas where data centers are built. The same study demonstrates that energy company tactics of creating subsidiary companies to negotiate directly with data centers is wrought with ambiguity, inequity, and injustice.”
Comparing Hobart’s Data Center to Hammond’s Data Center is not an option. According to the Brasovan Report, the Hammond Data Center was developed on an existing Industrial Zone without any residential neighborhoods close by. Hammond also recycles, reuses, existing industrial infrastructure and zone to support the industrial needs and impacts of large scale data centers. Hammond re-used decommissioned zone and infrastructure that is safer and more economical than re-zoning residential areas.
It’s important to note that the Lake County and City Ordinances allow for decibel volumes may not exceed 55 decibels (dB) at the property line. Further more, Lake County Ordinance requires that all backup generators are subject to compliance with the IDEM that stated backup generators are for emergency use only. However, the City Of Hobart has passed an Ordinance allowing 65 decibels, which is 10 decibels higher than the County Ordinance. Cited here
There are some legal battles the city needs to overcome. For one, the creation of an new and never before used ERA Tax Abatement in Hobart is being challenged by the No Data Centers Hobart Group. Economic Revitalization Area Applies to areas that are undesirable, or impossible of normal development due to lack of development, cessation of growth, deterioration, age, obsolescence, substandard buildings or other factors that have impaired the value. Eagle Creek Residential property across the street has several $350,000 new homes, hardly matching this description.
Not To Mention the HIGH CONCENTRATION of Electromagnetic Fields
High concentrations of EMFs (Electromagnetic Fields) from devices like Data Centers raises concerns for babies, children, and seniors due to developing bodies, thinner skulls, and potentially less robust immune/nervous systems, with studies suggesting links to cancer (like childhood leukemia), sleep issues, and neurological effects, though conclusive causal links are still debated, leading many health bodies to recommend precautionary measures like minimizing exposure, especially for kids, say Cureus, the AAEM, and the National Cancer Institute
The Next Meeting is a City Planning Commission Meeting to be held on January 15th, at 6:30pm, at the High School. A few local residents received a “Notice to Owners” letter for the Plan Commission Meeting regarding a proposed fill permit for the the Property zoned M-1. Any written objections filed with the Plan Commission must be considered at the meeting. Patrons may see the file only by going in person to the Planning Zoning Office located at 414 Main Street.
A change of venue for the Jan 15th meeting has already been submitted to move this meeting to allow for a larger crowd, which was approved on January 8th.
HERE’S SOME MORE INFO ON FILL PERMITS. . . .
A fill permit is not just one permit — it’s a coordinated federal + state + local permitting regime where:
- Federal law (Clean Water Act) via USACE regulates wetlands and major water impacts. (US EPA)
- State law via IDEM requires water quality review and wetlands impact analysis before a federal permit can be issued.
- State/regional authorities like IDNR ensure natural resource protection and floodway safety.
- Local governments must ensure community planning and code compliance.
WHAT IS A “FILL PERMIT” STEP BY STEP:
1.Preliminary Site Assessment
2. Developer identifies wetlands, streams, or water bodies on the site
3. Consultant does wetland delineation reports and preliminary impact analysis
4. Agency Pre‑Application Coordination
5. Corps and IDEM often recommend contacting each other before formal filing
6. Developer may hold pre‑application meetings with IDEM and Army Corps of Engineers
7. Submit Section 404 Permit Application to USACE -Describes extent, purpose, and alternatives for fill; May include mitigation proposals to offset wetland loss; Submit 401 Water Quality
Certification to IDEM: IDEM evaluates water quality impacts and state requirements; May require additional studies (erosion, species, sediment control);
IDEM Determination: IDEM issues 401 certification, conditions, or denial; Without IDEM approval, Corps cannot issue a 404 permit;
USACE Review; Determines whether Waters of the U.S. exist and whether to issue a 404 permit; May require compensatory mitigation (paying for restoration of other wetland areas)
IDNR and Other State Permits: If applicable, permits related to state waters, floodways, or species protection;
Local Approvals & Compliance; Plan Commission; Building permits; Stormwater/erosion controls; Issuance of Permits;
Once all conditions met, development can proceed with environmental protections
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Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
