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The Data Center Divide

LaPorte County

Anti-Data Center Policies

LaPorte County’s enacted resolution directs data-center proposals toward industrial-zoned land; a separately listed enacted ordinance limits them to M1 or M2 zones and requires special approval, setbacks, reviews, and ongoing monitoring, with some requirements waivable.

current law · Unincorporated areas
Urges La Porte County to consider restricting data centers to existing industrially zoned areas and adopting additional siting and operating requirements.Indiana LaPorte County Resolution on Data Center Restrictions (2025)

What this means

The resolution would steer data centers to land already zoned industrial, limiting where they could be proposed and potentially blocking projects on other land (“ONLY entertain data center proposals in current industrially zoned areas”). It only asks the Plan Commission to consider a separate ordinance, so the additional requirements described from Lake County are not rules this resolution itself adopts.

People behind it

  • The body that adopted Resolution No. 2025-7, resolving to consider data center proposals only in currently industrially zoned areas and urging the Plan Commission to consider an ordinance. “WE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, RESOLVE”

  • Signed the resolution as president of the Board of Commissioners. “Connie Gramarossa, President”; the county identifies her party as R. “Connie Gramarossa (R)”

  • Signed the resolution as a member of the Board of Commissioners. “Joe Haney, Member”; the county identifies his party as R. “Joe Haney (R)”

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  • Signed the resolution as vice president of the Board of Commissioners. “Steve Holifield, Vice President”; the county identifies his party as R. “Steve Holifield (R)”

  • La Porte County Auditor; the resolution identifies him as the official who attested to it. “Attest: Mike Rosenbaum, Auditor”

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements1

  • The Board resolved to entertain data-center proposals only in areas already zoned industrial; the resolution urges the Plan Commission to consider a separate ordinance, rather than itself setting out detailed permitting or operating rules. “ONLY entertain data center proposals in current industrially zoned areas”.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions1

  • The resolution identifies current industrially zoned areas, such as Kingsbury Industrial Park, as the only locations where the county would entertain data-center proposals. This is a limited siting pathway, not an approval or guarantee of development; the resolution urges the Plan Commission to consider a separate ordinance. “ONLY entertain data center proposals in current industrially zoned areas”

Sources

current law · County measure: County zoning jurisdiction; the source does not expressly clarify whether incorporated areas are covered
Requires data centers to obtain special approval in light- or heavy-industrial zones and meet county rules on setbacks, noise, utilities, water, lighting, safety, and ongoing compliance.Indiana LaPorte County Data Center Ordinance (2026)

What this means

The measure would limit data centers to M1 or M2 industrial zones and require special-exception approval, with 500-foot residential and 200-foot agricultural setbacks. Applicants would also face detailed reviews and ongoing noise and lighting checks, reporting, and fire-department training; the option to waive some requirements softens these burdens, but overall they are significant barriers rather than a ban.

People behind it

  • Recommended the Data Center Ordinance to the Board of Commissioners.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements9

  • Data centers may be considered only in M1 Light Industrial or M2 Heavy Industrial districts, and require special-exception approval. M1 or M2 districts and special-exception use

  • The Board of Zoning Appeals may require additional application materials before construction, including site and utility plans, traffic studies, and disclosures or plans addressing power demand, water use, noise, lighting, emergency response, and air emissions. Additional submittals for review

  • The Plan Commission may consider cumulative impacts of existing and approved data centers, including projects in incorporated areas of LaPorte County and surrounding counties, when evaluating infrastructure capacity and compatibility. Cumulative impacts

  • Principal buildings and associated mechanical equipment must be at least 500 feet from residential-zoned property or a dwelling existing on the application date, and 200 feet from agricultural-zoned property; the Plan Commission may require greater setbacks based on site conditions. Minimum setbacks

  • Continuous operational sound at the receiving property's boundary may not exceed 60 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 55 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; the limits do not apply during emergencies or life-safety events. Exceedances, or persistent tonal or low-frequency noise causing material disturbance beyond the property line, require mitigation. Sound limits and mitigation

  • Routine generator testing must be limited to daytime hours and to the frequency and duration approved in the special exception; this restriction does not apply during actual emergency operations. Generator testing limits

  • Operators must conduct sound and lighting compliance tests within six months after operations begin, then every 24 months and after specified site-layout changes or replacement of major sound-producing equipment or exterior lights. Noncompliance requires corrective mitigation. Post-construction verification

  • Operators must provide annual verification, or verification on a schedule approved by the Plan Commission, of compliance with approved noise, lighting, water-use, wastewater-discharge, and operational standards; failure to comply is a zoning violation subject to enforcement. Ongoing compliance and enforcement

  • Operators must offer annual fire-department training; the first session is due within six months after the facility begins operation, with sessions each calendar year thereafter. A written report must be submitted to the Plan Commission by January 31 each year. Annual first-responder training

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions2

  • Creates an approval pathway for data centers as Special Exception uses in M1 Light Industrial and M2 Heavy Industrial districts; proposals may be considered only on property in those zones. Special Exception use within M1 and M2 districts

  • Allows the Board of Zoning Appeals to waive specific ordinance requirements when it finds them irrelevant or unnecessary to approval of a special exception. may waive specific requirements

Sources

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