Community questions data center

MONROEVILLE — A proposed artificial intelligence data center project that developers say could bring millions of dollars in investment and tax revenue to Monroeville also raised pointed questions Thursday night from residents worried about noise, farmland, infrastructure strain and the long-term transformation of their community. The public meeting, hosted in the Monroeville school cafeteria, began at 6 p.m. and stretched past 10 p.m. as residents packed the room to question representatives from Decimal Digital about the company's plans for the Monroeville Industrial Park on U.S. 20. Several dozen people attended to hear about and ask questions about the project, which is currently subject to a one-year moratorium halting it from moving forward until at least February 2027. Representatives of Decimal Digital — joined by attorneys, engineers, acoustical consultants and economic development advisers — spent more than four hours answering questions from attendees during a meeting that, at times, turned contentious as residents pressed for specifics about the project's long-term impact on the village. At one point during the meeting, Greg Schaefer — Monroeville Schools board president and president of Underground Utilities, a Monroeville excavation and contracting company, who attended as a resident and had no administrative or moderation role — engaged several residents who were speaking against the project. After one audience participant asked a pointed question, Schaefer requested that audience members identify themselves and where they lived before speaking, a requirement that had not been in place earlier in the meeting. Schaefer did not identify himself while making the request. Later in the evening, Schaefer became involved in a heated exchange with a woman who questioned the potential effects on migratory birds and wildlife disruption caused by sound from the proposed facility. Those exchanges were the only notable disruptions during the meeting. The plan The company's initial proposal centers on a 100-megawatt data center on roughly 48 acres near U.S. 20. But residents repeatedly pressed company officials over documents and presentation materials outlining a much larger long-term vision that could eventually stretch across hundreds of acres and dramatically expand electrical demand in the area. "The little picture of the 48 acres is really not going to give you what you want," a resident said during the meeting. "The ultimate plan is the bigger picture with all of the farmland." Later in the meeting, Decimal representatives acknowledged the company's broader long-term vision could involve roughly 400 acres tied to future development phases. Company officials repeatedly emphasized that any future expansion would require additional approvals, zoning review and permitting. "If Phase 1 is all that gets approved, Phase 1 is all that gets approved," Decimal attorney Andrew Hinton said. Still, several residents questioned whether the proposal being discussed publicly represented the true scope of what the company ultimately hopes to build in Monroeville. Distancing from Gray Matter Much of the meeting centered on whether residents should trust Decimal's assurances after the controversy surrounding the existing Gray Matter cryptocurrency mining operation already located in the industrial park. The village is seeking about $1.3 million in from Gray Matter, which allegedly stopped paying for power after launching operations in 2024. A court-appointed receiver now oversees the site, and the facility is currently operated by Decimal Digital, which officials say has remained current on electric payments. Decimal officials sought aggressively to distance themselves from that operation. "Gray Matter was not really a company," Decimal co-founder Henry Robinson told attendees. Robinson said Decimal later assumed electrical obligations connected to the site after the previous operators abandoned what he described as a problematic energy agreement tied to the village. "We've paid every one of our bills on time," Robinson said. "We're not those people." Even so, several residents remained skeptical throughout the evening about long-term expansion, infrastructure needs and the company's projections for jobs and revenue. Noise and quality-of-life concerns Noise concerns emerged repeatedly during the meeting. Acoustical engineers hired by Decimal said the company conducted sound studies around the industrial park and modeled the proposed facility's projected sound levels under what consultants described as worst-case operating conditions. The company said projected noise levels at the nearest property line would remain around 45 decibels, below the roughly 60 decibels associated with a normal conversation, according to one engineer. Residents questioned whether those models fully accounted for low-frequency sound and the effects of constant 24-hour industrial operation.One attendee specifically raised concerns about prolonged exposure to low-frequency noise and its potential impact on quality of life. The company said additional low-frequency modeling would be incorporated as the project moves forward. Water and power questions Water usage and electrical demand also drew questioning. Consultants working with Decimal said newer "closed-loop" cooling systems would dramatically reduce water use compared to older data center designs, which are frequently referenced in national reporting on AI infrastructure expansion. According to the company's engineers, the proposed facility's first phase would use roughly 1,000 gallons of water per day, primarily for employee facilities rather than cooling operations. On a larger scale, company representatives estimated usage could rise to roughly 10,000 gallons per day. Residents also asked where the massive electrical demand for the project would ultimately come from and whether local utility customers could eventually face increased costs tied to infrastructure upgrades. Roshan Shah, Decimal Digital Currency co-founder and CEO, said Decimal would pay for any upgrades required for the project. "Yes, we will pay for all expenses for any upgrade that we require," Shah said. Farmland and taxes Property values and farmland preservation became another recurring point of concern. Residents questioned whether future industrial land purchases tied to expansion could raise surrounding agricultural land values and local property taxes. "My biggest concern right now is that my property taxes are probably going to double again," one resident said. Project representatives responded that industrial data center valuations would not directly affect residential or agricultural assessments, though several attendees continued to push for clearer guarantees. Promises of jobs and revenue Labor representatives and union officials attending the meeting voiced support for the project, pointing to potential construction work and technical jobs in the future data center operations. Others questioned whether the long-term number of permanent jobs justified the scale of the proposed industrial expansion and electrical infrastructure involved. At several points, the discussion drifted beyond Monroeville itself into wider concerns about artificial intelligence, state legislation tied to digital asset mining and the rapid growth of data center development across Ohio. Village officials previously enacted the moratorium on data center development while talks continue regarding zoning regulations and possible development standards for future projects. As of the time of writing, no further public meetings to discuss the data center were scheduled.