Stow Council Effectively Bans Data Centers, Confirms New Fire Chief, Stalls Fence Rule

Stow City Council capped a packed September meeting by unanimously adopting a zoning ordinance that adds data centers to city code for the first time, attaching so many technical requirements that officials themselves called it "essentially a ban." The same night, council swore in new fire department leadership, filled several city appointments, set a hearing on a liquor permit for the Stow AMP, and heard a resident push back hard against the city's Flock surveillance cameras. Data Center Zoning Ordinance Passes Unanimously Ordinance 2026-118 amends three sections of the city's planning and zoning code. It adds "data center" to the principal use table under automotive and industrial uses and attaches a new section of requirements covering setbacks, utility capacity, water usage, noise standards, air quality, thermal impacts and waste heat management. Staff described the new requirements as running two full pages. The ordinance also updates the city's vehicle parking table to require one parking space per 1,000 square feet for a future data center, and it adds a formal definition of the term to city code. That definition describes a facility built primarily to store, manage, process and distribute data, housing servers and related infrastructure such as backup power generation and cooling systems. City officials explained during the public hearing that Ohio law does not allow a city to pass a straightforward, long term moratorium on a specific type of development unless the moratorium is tied to a defined goal or metric. Building a detailed list of requirements into the zoning code instead, they said, gives the city and its Planning Commission much stronger legal footing to reject a data center proposal if concerns come up. Officials Acknowledge The Requirements Function As A Ban The city's new planning director told council the ordinance is tougher than anything he has seen in other communities he has served. "This ordinance is far more proactive and has far stronger language than I've seen in the past," he said, adding that it gives the city "a lot of oversight" to make sure any future data center meets environmental and nuisance standards. Council Member Cyle Feldman asked staff to confirm that the city would be able to demand deeper analysis of power, water and other impacts during the site plan approval process if a data center project ever moved forward. Staff confirmed that reading was correct. When pressed further, the city's deputy law director agreed the requirements go beyond a typical conditional use standard. "I mean, it's essentially a ban," the deputy law director said. Mayor John Pribonic later called the ordinance a proactive step that keeps Stow "leading the way for other cities," and emphasized it is not a response to any data center project currently proposed for Stow. Residents Raise Concerns At The Hearing Two residents spoke at the public hearing. One, who said she lives nearby but not in Stow, raised concerns that the economic benefits of a data center would be outweighed by costs to health and the environment. She also pointed to non disclosure agreements some communities have signed with data center developers, saying she worries those agreements can end up working against the public interest. A Stow resident asked whether details of the zoning change would be made public beyond those who attend council meetings, and asked whether there is even a location in Stow where a data center could be built. Staff told her earlier in the hearing that no data center has been proposed for the city and that available land may be limited. New Fire Chief And Assistant Chief Sworn In Council confirmed Mike Lang as the city's new Fire Chief and Mark Kozak as Assistant Fire Chief, both moving up as longtime Chief Mark Stone retires. Both appointments passed council with no discussion and no votes against them. Council separately approved hiring four firefighters to fill vacancies created by retirements, along with a motion to fill any additional vacancy created by the promotion to Assistant Fire Chief. Council Fills Several City Appointments Council confirmed a string of personnel moves during the meeting. Sandy Erb was confirmed as the new Deputy Clerk of Council. Kaela Anderson was confirmed as receptionist for the Mayor's office. Stacy Carr was confirmed as Deputy Director of Planning and Development. During the earlier committee session, council also confirmed Lisa Biber and Joseph Resnick to the Tax Board of Review, both for the current partial term and for the full term beginning in 2027. Council additionally confirmed Karen Ersick to the Commission on Inclusion, filling a vacancy left by the resignation of Jason Gates, and confirmed Jason Chutak to the Senior Citizen Commission to fill a separate vacancy. A Contested Fence Ordinance Stalls On First Reading Not every zoning item moved smoothly. A proposed text amendment to the city's use standards, related to fence covers, drew pushback from Co