The Data Center Disconnect

At last week’s Planning Commission meeting, Chair Brian Galley stated that he was not aware of any data center inquiries and described the Township’s involvement with Data Centers as a general phone call asking about zoning.

That is not consistent with the Township’s own public update from April 3, 2026, which states that Springfield Township had received THREE separate data center inquiries.

Not 1… Not 2… but 3 Data Center Inquiries

You can read it for yourself on the township website:

It is also not consistent with the fact that a data center pre-application meeting took place on December 15, 2025.

According to the Township’s December 15, 2025 Data Centers Pre-Application Meeting minutes, this was not just a casual inquiry. A meeting took place with Township representatives, Planning Commissioner Steve Felix, and Stephen Sevenich of Cushman & Wakefield, a major global commercial real estate firm with a dedicated data center advisory practice.

Cushman & Wakefield Data Center Services Website

During that meeting, Sevenich discussed a client described as a ‘long-established data center development group’. He also identified an 84-acre parcel on Andersonville Road, located down the road from Andersonville Elementary, as the primary area of interest.

The meeting minutes also state that Sevenich mentioned discussions with nearby landowners and said his group had previously purchased nearby residential homes at two to three times market value in other projects to address proximity concerns.

A representative tied to data center development was not simply asking, “What is your zoning?” He was discussing a specific property, nearby landowners, and past examples of buying out residential homes near data center projects.

During Public Comment at the Planning Commission meeting, I stated publicly that there had been more than a ‘general phone call inquiry‘. I also looked directly at Planning Commissioner Steve Felix and said he should know, because he was present at that December 15 meeting. Then I explained to Chair Galley where he could find this public information on the Township website.

Even more concerning, Reuben Maxbauer of Levy (who is currently seeking an SLUP approval for a sand and gravel mine in Springfield Township) was also present at that meeting, but his name and comments were left off the official record.

This Township has multiple problems including:

• The Township Supervisor publicly stated in April that Springfield had received three separate data center inquiries.

• The Planning Commission Chair stated last week that he was not aware of any inquiries beyond a general phone call.

• A Planning Commissioner attended a data center meeting months ago, yet that meeting does not appear to have been clearly communicated to the full Planning Commission.

• And at least one person present at that meeting was omitted from the official record.

That is not a small communication gap. That is complete failure of communication and transparency.

Residents are being told to trust the process, but how can the public trust a process when Springfield Township appears to have an information gatekeeping problem — especially when the Planning Commission itself seems to be receiving incomplete information?

Data centers are major land use and infrastructure projects. They can affect zoning, electricity demand, water use, noise, farmland, natural resources, and the long-term character of the Township. These are not ‘casual conversations’ and the Township is not just handling an inquiring phone call. All discussions should be clearly documented, accurately recorded, and openly communicated to the officials responsible for reviewing zoning and ordinance changes.

How could the Planning Commission be expected to make any informed decision if they do not have all the information?

What is the reason for their lack of information?

Does the Township have a process to bring information to the Planning Commission, i.e. data center inquiries?

Are Planning Commission members expected to keep themselves up to date, monitoring numerous Township webpages that are inconsistently updated, like all the other residents?

Springfield Township residents deserve better than missing names, missing comments, and Planning Commissioners learning key information from residents during public meetings.