St. Joseph County Council votes 8-1 to rezone farmland near New Carlisle for potential data center

Council Republican Joe Thomas, whose district covers that area, cast the lone vote against it, saying he was “conflicted” and agreeing with those in the audience who asked to put a pause on making a decision. 

Dan Caruso of New Carlisle, who recently was appointed to the county’s Redevelopment Authority, said the rezoning would push industrial development beyond the limit of 2,000 acres near New Carlisle that had been recommended in the county’s 2002 comprehensive plan for land use.  

Steve Francis of Clay Township said the people of New Carlisle “feel like they are being dumped on.” He urged the county to keep development within the acreage that’s already in the IEC’s overlay district and not expand beyond that.  

But Bill Schalliol, the county’s executive director of economic development, suggested that the potential developers wanted a single parcel that’s big enough rather than smaller pieces.