CLINTON COUNTY, Ind. (November 5, 2025) — Amid intense local opposition and a rapidly approaching legislative deadline, Clinton County commissioners are undertaking urgent efforts at due diligence concerning a massive proposed data center project, including a planned trip to an operational site in New Jersey. The controversy centers on the proposed rezoning of agricultural land for a project being developed by DataOne and Logistix partner Doug Swain.
The urgency stems from the fact that the commission has a 90-day period to act on the rezoning recommendation; if no decision is reached by approximately November 18th, the request dies. The time constraints have fueled commissioner disagreement over the feasibility of adequate research.
The New Jersey site visit, scheduled for today, Wednesday, following the Tuesday commissioner meeting, targets a DataOne development located in Vineland, New Jersey. Scott Wolf, an Indiana businessman associated with Logistix, presented DataOne as the company intending to come to Clinton County. The purpose of the trip is to allow officials to meet the real people on the other end of the transaction and gain first-hand information on infrastructure and community impact.
“We’re going to take a number of people out to do due diligence [Wednesday],” Wolf stated. The delegation plans to speak with officials in Vineland regarding power rates, water consumption, and noise, and to “actually meet the real people on the other end who are to do the development.”
The flight manifest of the trip, obtained by Clinton County Today, reflects a broad cross section of Clinton County and City of Frankfort elected officials, appointed officials as well as employees along with community members. The manifest identifies the following individuals as scheduled to make the trip: Kevin Myers, Bert Weaver, Alan Dunn, Carol Price, Todd Corrie, Dan Sheets, Liz Stitzel, Mary King, Tammy Sander, Russ Kaspar, Kimberly Black, Jeff Chynoweth, Steve Beardsley, Clarence Warthan, Robert Joe Stevens, Eric Woods, Joe Palmer, John Virtue, and Shan Sheridan.
Two commissioners identified in the manifest voiced support for participating in the trip, emphasizing the need for comprehensive research before making a final determination.
Commissioner Bert Weaver confirmed his intent to travel, stating he felt obsessed with the issue and was still gathering information. “I am going on the trip to New Jersey tomorrow because I want to find out this stuff,” he said. He noted that while the project was handled poorly initially, he is “not prepared to make a decision today.”
Another commissioner, Commissioner Kevin Myers, who had previously been wary of the project, explained that communication with the New Jersey location had altered his perspective. “We have an opportunity to visit a like plant that’s going there. We have an opportunity to visit with the mayor. We have an opportunity to meet with the commissioners of that location. We have an opportunity to see and listen to the people They’re there,” he commented, stressing the importance of doing their due diligence before a vote.
However, Commissioner Jordan Brewer, who has been highly critical of the developer’s handling of the process, strongly disagreed with the value of a rushed, last-minute trip.
“I’m not doing that for the record,” Brewer said regarding the trip. He argued that attempting to complete the necessary research in the time remaining is futile, given the project’s scope. Brewer cited new estimates suggesting the project could be worth as much as $50 billion—three times the size of the nearby LEAP project—making a decision by November 18th virtually impossible.
“How can you then do enough due diligence from now until November 18th for a size and scope of a project this large? It’s just not possible,” Brewer asserted. He believes that undertaking due diligence under current circumstances “provide no benefit.”
The board ultimately voted 2-1 to table the resolution, with Brewer being the ‘no’ vote, continuing to take no action on the rezoning request and allowing the remaining days of the 90-day period for research to elapse. If they fail to act by the deadline, the rezoning request will automatically expire.
Editor’s note: Dan Sheets provided a statement that he “did not attend the meeting in New Jersey today.”
