The massive, 957-acre area shown below in Bristol, Indiana was proposed for industrial rezoning. While it was claimed that the Bristol Innovation Park would accommodate a number of uses, area residents were concerned that it would be dominated by data centers. 

Hundreds of Bristol and Elkhart County residents attended Town Council meetings urging their elected officials to prevent data centers and other possible industrial uses from causing harm. The residents retained CEDS to assist in achieving his goal. CEDS drafted the letter posted at the following link setting forth the measures Town Councilmembers should put in place before moving forward with the rezoning: https://app.box.com/s/2m7n8cozdujkrxt7l2ex1ppk4l6ygj4r. 

The Bristol Town Council was scheduled to hold a rezoning hearing on August 6th. In late July, Bristol Town Council President Jeff Beachy issued a statement that he would not support the rezoning request. He stressed that data centers were not the primary use envisioned for the Bristol Industrial Park. CEDS sent the message at the following link thanking the Council President for his decision and pointing out that the presence of the 345 kilovolt transmission line would nevertheless make the Bristol Innovation Park an enticing location for a hyperscale data center complex: https://app.box.com/s/w0ksrm4dg7gus2y3vqr1xyq9zsni80fm. 

While the Bristol Innovation Park is on hold for now, area residents remain concerned that others may seek to resurrect the rezoning proposal.

This success is largely due to the tremendous outcry from a very large number of area residents. However, the factual support provided by CEDS justifying these concerns no doubt played a role in their victory.