Cedar Bog update - one-year moratorium on data centers put in place

A portion of the estimated 400 people who came to the Urbana City Council meeting on March 1. Not everyone could fit in the room, and there was no way to capture all attendees in one photo.

In my last post, I mentioned the one billion-dollar, 460,000 square foot hyperscale data center that has been proposed for development on the south side of Urbana (Ohio), within 1.5 miles of the iconic Cedar Bog preserve, one of the most iconic natural areas in Ohio and the Midwest.

I shared a link to one of the two petitions circulating that objects to this development. Thanks to all who signed it. That petition can be FOUND HERE. Thus far, 4,558 people have signed, and several thousand have signed another, similar petition.

Last Tuesday night (March 3, 2026) was the night where the public got to come and give feedback to the Urbana (Ohio) City Council, the mayor, and several of his executive staff regarding this data center. Because of the enormous water needs for these centers - they’d undoubtedly tap into the aquifer that feeds the bog - its construction would likely do in Ohio’s most famous natural area.

Around 400 people showed up, and all of them (insofar as I could tell) were in opposition to the center. Over 30 people made comments directly to council, from kids to adults, and all made it clear that they did not want data centers in their community.

In response to public opposition, city council voted to place a one-year moratorium on data center construction, and we have high hopes that the project will be scrubbed before the moratorium ends.
Thanks to everyone who came out, and to those that took to the lectern to speak against this atrocity.

I'm going to write a more detailed piece about this whole debacle for my Columbus Dispatch newspaper column. I'll share that here after it has been published.