Dear Editor,

Kosciusko County stands at a crossroads. Our planning leaders are weighing a proposal to rezone land near Leesburg and Clunette — currently zoned for agriculture — into an industrial 3 classification to make way for a data center.

We support data centers, but they need to be placed where existing zoning allows for their construction, not in an agriculture area designated by the comprehensive plan. This decision flies in the face of the county’s recently completed comprehensive land use plan, which rightly emphasized the urgent need to preserve farmland. That plan wasn’t just a suggestion; it was a promise to protect what makes our community special. Now, it’s being tested.

Indiana has lost nearly 550,000 acres of farmland since 2010, a steep decline that threatens our state’s agricultural heritage and food security. Kosciusko County, with its rich soil and rural character, is no exception. The comprehensive plan acknowledged this crisis and called for action to stop the bleeding. Yet, here we are, watching leaders consider trading farmland for server farms — land that could grow crops swapped for land that powers the digital ambitions of tech giants like Google, Microsoft or Amazon.

If this rezoning happens, it won’t stop with the data center. A domino effect is all but certain. industrial 3 zoning opens the door to sprawling solar voltaic fields, battery storage facilities and expanded transmission lines — none of which belong in the heart of our agricultural landscape. This isn’t progress; it’s a land grab by out-of-state corporations who don’t live next to the humming machinery or watch their fields turn into industrial zones.

The community’s voice is clear: We don’t want this. Residents value the quiet beauty of our countryside and the livelihoods tied to farming. The comprehensive plan reflects that, offering a road map to balance growth with preservation. Approving this rezoning would undermine that vision and signal that local priorities bend to the whims of distant landowners and tech titans.

Kosciusko County leaders have a choice. They must honor the plan they just crafted and protect our farmland, or they can bow to pressure and let the first domino fall. Once it’s gone, we won’t get it back. Let’s urge them to stand firm — say no to industrial 3 zoning and yes to the future of our farms.

We have created a petition and have over 600 signatures currently on our fifth day.

Reagan Templin
on behalf of the concerned local community