Miami County data-center zoning hearing July 20: what Peru residents should read
Miami County will hold a July 20, 2026 hearing in Peru on proposed data-center zoning rules. Read the “as of 6/25/26” ordinance draft and the moratorium first.
Miami County has posted a Notice of Intent to Consider a proposed data-center zoning ordinance ahead of its July 20, 2026 Board of Commissioners meeting in Peru. If adopted, the ordinance would replace the county’s current approach—a recorded data-center moratorium—with a permanent set of zoning and permit procedures applicants would have to follow.
Before the hearing, residents who are concerned about permitting rules (including improvement-location permits) and development impacts should read: (1) the written meeting notice, (2) the ordinance draft labeled “As of: 6/25/26,” and (3) the recorded signed moratorium ordinance that is currently in effect.
When and where the July 20 hearing happens
Miami County says its regularly scheduled Board of Commissioners meeting is set for July 20, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as can be heard, in the G.A.R. Room of the Miami County Courthouse, 25 N. Broadway, Peru, Indiana 46970.
The proposed ordinance is on file for examination in the office of the Miami County Plan Commission, Room 101 of the courthouse, during regular business hours.
For public input ahead of the meeting, Miami County says comments and suggested language changes can be sent by email to datacenterinput@miamicountyin.gov.
What Miami County is proposing to change
The proposed ordinance would add a new chapter—Chapter 2-16: Data Center Development—to Miami County’s zoning framework for the county’s unincorporated areas.
The draft’s purpose statement says it is intended to provide a regulatory scheme for the construction, operation, modification and removal of data centers.
The draft also spells out how the county would define a “Data Center” for zoning purposes. In the draft, a data center is described as a structure or campus used primarily for the storage, management, processing, and transmission of digital data—housing computer or network equipment, systems, servers, appliances, substations, backup generators, cooling systems, utility infrastructure, and other associated components related to digital data operations.
The draft also states a facility shall not be classified as a data center where its primary purpose is telecommunications services (including but not limited to wireline, wireless, broadband, or network interconnection services) or emergency communications infrastructure. Those excluded facilities are stated to be not subject to the zoning/siting/operational restrictions applicable to a data center.
Where the rules would apply (zoning districts and special exception)
In the draft’s provisions applicable to data centers, data centers would be permitted in certain districts: I-1 Industrial, I-2 Industrial, B-2 Commercial, and B-3 Commercial.
In A-1, A-2, and A-3 Agriculture districts, the draft says data centers would be permitted only through a Special Exception.
The baseline residents are living under: the recorded data-center moratorium
Miami County’s recorded moratorium is the current baseline. The moratorium ordinance imposes a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing, and approval of applications and permits related to data center projects—including the issuance of improvement location permits—in all zoning districts across the county’s unincorporated areas.
The moratorium ordinance also states it remains in effect until the Zoning Ordinance is amended to provide regulations related to data center projects within Miami County. In other words: the July 20 commissioners’ action on the proposed ordinance is the key question for whether the moratorium framework would continue or be replaced by the draft’s permanent ordinance procedures.
What Peru residents should read closely: the improvement-location permit workflow
The proposed ordinance includes a detailed permitting path for data-center-related development before construction—especially through the Improvement Location Permit (ILP) process.
- Definitions (Section 2): Look at how the draft defines “Data Center” and what the draft treats as an ILP-related applicant/permit framework.
- Purpose and scope (Section 1): Confirms that the ordinance is meant to regulate more than just initial construction (it includes construction, operation, modification, and removal).
- Approvals required before construction (Section 4): The draft lists approvals the applicant would have to obtain and prove to the Zoning Administrator, including a Commercial Improvement Location Permit (ILP) and a Building Construction Permit.
- Development Plan Review (Section 5): The draft says this administrative process is not a substitute for rezoning, variance, special exception, platting, or other established procedures—rather it allows administrative review of site conditions and plans for consistency before issuance of Improvement Location Permits.
- Zoning Administrator review (Section 8): The draft states the Zoning Administrator reviews applications and, if the application complies with ordinance requirements, may issue an Improvement Location Permit and Building Construction Permit.
- ILP requirements and fees (Section 10): The draft includes a “prior to any construction” requirement tied to payment of required fees as prescribed by Miami County’s fee schedule.
- Enforcement and violations (Section 12): The draft includes an enforcement framework built around stop-work authority, appeal rights, and the ability to suspend or revoke ILPs/BCPs.
Important: The ordinance document residents are reading is labeled “As of: 6/25/26.” Draft language can change before commissioners vote, and the moratorium remains the current baseline unless/until the county adopts and implements the ordinance amendments. Treat the posted text as proposed procedures—not already-in-effect rules—until the July 20 meeting record confirms the final adopted action.
Before-and-at-the-hearing checklist
Use this quick checklist based on the county’s posted materials:
- Read the Notice of Intent to Consider for the hearing date/time, location, and how the county describes what it intends to consider.
- Read the ordinance draft labeled “As of: 6/25/26”, especially the sections that cover definitions, approvals required before construction, development plan review, Zoning Administrator review, and ILP/fee requirements.
- Read the recorded signed moratorium so you understand what restrictions are in place now—and how long they remain.
- If you plan to comment, email your questions or suggested language changes to datacenterinput@miamicountyin.gov (as listed by the county).
What to watch next after July 20
The key next step will be the Board of Commissioners’ decision on whether to adopt the proposed ordinance and what the county’s final action means for replacing the moratorium with a permanent ordinance framework for data-center-related permit review (including ILPs). For the definitive “what changed” answer, check the meeting record and any posted follow-up materials after the July 20 session.
Sources
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
