INDIANAPOLIS — A group of residents is asking for answers about a proposed data center they say would destroy several acres of an urban forest in Pike Township.
The proposal calls for a 20,000-square-foot data center on property that now features a lush landscape of trees and forest, residents say. Long-time neighbors said a significant portion of the forest has already been removed.
"It's kind of scary, the deer are gone, the birds are gone, all manner of wildlife. We don't really miss the raccoons, though,” Richard Vonder Meulen, who lives across the street from the proposed data center, said.
Vonder Meulen, who has lived in his home since 2001, said he misses the protection the tree canopy used to provide before more homes were built.
"When they took the woods down just three years ago, my water froze up on the west side of my home for the first time,” Vonder Meulen said. “My shingles started flying off for the first time."
Protect Pike Township, an initiative opposing the project, said homes could face increased flood risk if the trees are removed and the area is paved. The group also raised concerns about backup generators proposed for the site that would run on diesel — questioning when they would run, how long they would run and what type of pollution they might create for residents.
"Trees and forests are a natural way that water can be observed and held, so it's not flooding our streets,” Megan Anderson with Protect Pike Township said. “So we know with a more paved area and a more flat area, you usually have an increase in flooding. "
At this point, the plan remains a proposal. Local officials say they want more information from the company behind the project, American Tower.
"Transparency to us is very important,” Annette Johnson, the Pike Township trustee, said. “I don't think it's fair for individuals who have to stake in this community to come in and bring certain kind of elements."
The Pike Township Residents Association meeting is scheduled for December 10 at 7 p.m. at the new Augusta Public Academy, where more information about the data center will be announced, officials said. The rezone is expected to be before the Metropolitan Development Commission on December 11 at 1 p.m.
