Jan Cervelli to Present Petition for Data Center Pause at St.Joseph County Council Meeting
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 @ 6:00pm
St. Joseph County Council Chambers
Public comment period open to all residents
SOUTH BEND, IN — Jan Cervelli, candidate for St. Joseph County Council District C and Professor of Art and Environmental Studies, will present a petition Tuesday evening calling for a temporary pause on hyperscale data center permits in St. Joseph County.
"It is not enough to simply put up a banner saying ‘no’ to data centers - the county needs to put stronger protections in place for health, safety, and the wealth fare of the community"
Cervelli, is asking the County Council to press pause on the expansion of currently operating data centers, any proposals for new data centers, or current projects awaiting permit approval until the community has answers about their impact on water, electricity rates, property values, and public health. And enacts a governmental policy that protects the public from the ill effects of hyper scale data centers.
Why a Pause Now?
"We’re seeing hyperscale data centers flood into communities across our region without residents knowing what they’re getting into," Cervelli said. "These facilities use massive amounts of water and electricity, affect air quality, and can drive up utility bills for families already struggling with the cost of living.
The petition calls for:
• A temporary halt on improvement location permits before construction begins on hyperscale data centers (facilities over 5,000 square feet)
• Creation of a special public utility commission to study environmental and economic impacts to be published and shared with the community
• A ban on tax abatements and non-disclosure agreements between the County and developers
• New protections for residents living within 1.5 miles of data center sites
This Is a Regional Movement
St. Joseph County is not alone. Communities across Indiana and the Midwest are taking the same cautious approach:
In Michigan, state legislators are currently considering a 13-month statewide moratorium with three separate bills targeting permitting, utility tie-ins, and water approvals. Cities including Detroit, Sterling Heights, Howell, Northville, and Clayton Township have already enacted local pauses while updating outdated codes.
| County | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| White County, IN | Moratorium passed after locals raised water and transparency concerns | October 2025 |
| Marshall County, IN | Moratorium passed | February 2025 |
| Putnam County, IN | Moratorium passed | November 2025 |
| Starke County, IN | One-year moratorium on data centers over 5,000 sq. ft. | December 2025 |
| Fulton County, IN | Moratorium approved | February 2026 |
The Bottom Line
"Many townships across the Midwest, haven’t updated their zoning codes and other policies to meet the potential ill effects of the heavy industrial nature of hyper data centers," Cervelli explained. "We have county leadership that has chosen a form of economic development that is out of balance for the overall needs of this community. And families can’t afford to find out too late that their water pressure dropped or their electric bill spiked. A pause isn’t about stopping progress, it’s about making sure growth pays the community back, not just the biggest players."
The petition requires the special public utility commission to deliver findings to the public by January 15, 2027, with recommendations for a government policy that protects public health, safety, and the welfare public.
About Jan Cervelli:
Jan Cervelli is a candidate for St. Joseph County Council District C. A South Bend native she is Professor at St. Mary’s of and Dean Emeritus in the Art of Environmental Studies. She is nationally recognized urban designer and planner with decades of experience helping communities across the United States with participatory planning, smart growth and sustainable development. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture from Purdue University and the University of Guelph, Candana. Jan is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture.
Media Contact: jan@jancervelli.com
