Keep city things in the city
By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist
“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” (– Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi,” 1970).
In the April 22 Ohio Farmer Update, there is an article about a local referendum on May 5 regarding overturning a local ban on large-scale solar development in Mahoning County. It seems as though a farmer had a choice to lease land for solar development on his family farm or sell the farm. (He has since worked out some leasing arrangements with local farmers).
He had gotten very sick during Covid and needed the cash. State Senate Bill 52 has allowed local leaders to ban such solar development sales. Such a ban is in place in Green Township in Mahoning County where this farm is.
This is an argument over property rights.
I am in favor of property – you own it, you do what you want with it up to a point.
However, we are now getting city folks coming out into the country and putting their ugly stuff here. Just drive down U.S. 62 south to the Highland County line to see what I mean.
Now they are coming with the data centers.
In Festus, Missouri, just south of St. Louis (I bought a car there once), the entire city council has been kicked out for approving the erection of a data center.
I don’t want to live in a world that looks like Cleveland, circa 1970.
And you may think I am a hypocrite, for I have spent my career working around paper mills. I would offer there are only about 700-800 paper mills. The Commonwealth of Virginia alone has more than 1,100 data centers under development. There is just no comparison.
While we are mandating things, we could mandate that all new high-rise buildings have solar panels on top. For those already existing, give them 10 years to comply with this mandate.
The basic conundrum is this. Rural lands do not consume electricity nor need data centers to the extent the cities do. Why bring this blight out to the country? Put it where it is used.
Visual pollution is just like any other pollution that affects our well-being. Treat it to the rigorous regulations we have in place for other pollutants.
Yeah, I know, suddenly I sound like a socialist. Not to worry – this is the boundary line defining my space.
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press.