PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER/ THE VILLAGE REPORTER
CROWD … A standing-room-only crowd fills the German Township garage on February 9, 2026 as residents gathered to discuss concerns swirling on social media over land acquisitions and the possibility of future data center or solar development.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
What began as a routine trustees meeting turned into a standing-room-only public forum Monday night as more than two hundred and fifty residents packed the township garage to confront rumors that large tracts of farmland east of Archbold were being assembled for a possible data center or solar complex.
The February 9 session focused almost entirely on Iron Ridge Development LLC, a recently formed Ohio company that has been acquiring or optioning acreage near County Road 21, County Road C, and surrounding corridors.
Social media posts in recent weeks alleged that landowners were being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements and that a major technology project was already in motion.
Trustees Brad Short, AJ Short, and Jason Pursel opened the meeting with ground rules aimed at keeping order, asking that planned speakers be heard before public comment and that residents remain respectful despite strong emotions.
Austin Dunlap and Luke Boyers of Iron Ridge Development addressed the crowd first, attempting to dispel what they called a lot of speculation.
Both men told those in attendance that the company was not actively pursuing a data center and was not looking into or trying to secure one.
They explained that Iron Ridge was pursuing industrial development, manufacturing, warehousing, and any options that might fit the community.
He emphasized that the company had no end user in mind, no contracts with any end user, and no agreements in place for any specific project.
Boyers explained that Iron Ridge was formed roughly a year ago as a local real estate development company and that its goal was to create larger, marketable industrial parcels that could attract future employers.
He noted that Archbold currently has only one significant tract available, a 57-acre flag lot, with most remaining sites around ten acres. According to Boyers, that limited inventory makes it difficult for the village to compete for larger employers.
He told the audience that the company had researched data centers only to understand what they were and what impacts they might have, both positive and negative.
Boyers said the research was simply part of being responsible developers and not an indication of any negotiations. He stated directly that Iron Ridge was not there to push a data center and was instead trying to help Archbold grow in a responsible way.
Archbold Village Administrator Aaron Alt followed Boyers and provided the perspective of the village.
Alt said that economic development inquiries arrive weekly and sometimes daily through Fulton County Economic Development, but that Archbold currently lacks the sewer capacity to handle any major project.
He explained that the village water plant has significant production ability but that the long-discussed reservoir project, looked at more than twenty years ago, has not yet moved forward.
Alt said any development must be the right fit for the community and noted that recent downturn at Sauder Woodworking had reminded many of the need for diversified employment.
Alt also encouraged residents to use the Live Archbold notification app and follow official channels for information rather than relying on social media posts.
Archbold Councilman Chad Kern, attending as a resident, spoke next and questioned why everyone had only learned of the situation three weeks earlier.
Kern said the lack of transparency was what had caused so much fear and suspicion in the community.
He stated that nobody wanted farmland lost to a data center or solar field and asked directly why more information had not been shared sooner.
Boyers responded that one non-disclosure agreement had been requested in regard to a landowner as part of standard industry practice but said he now regretted that decision.
He told the crowd that Iron Ridge had intended to hold a public meeting within the next month or two and had never planned to act in secret.
Much of the evening then turned to the complicated issue of annexation and what authority the township would have if land were brought into the Village of Archbold.
Fulton County Commissioner Joe Short explained that Ohio law allows several types of annexation, some of which require Commissioners to sign off even if they disagree.
That explanation raised concerns with those present, that a project could bypass local opposition.
Trustee AJ Short distributed sample public records request forms to the audience and urged residents to seek documentation for themselves.
He stressed that township officials had been asked to but, would not sign any non-disclosure agreement and wanted everything handled in the open, but that it would be prudent for residents to submit requests to both council and the trustees to verify that information.
Councilman Kern assured the crowd that any large annexation would not be expedited on their end.
He stated that nothing of this magnitude would ever be rushed through by the village and that he would not vote for such action.
Councilman Kern’s remarks opened a lengthy public comment period that quickly became the focus of the night.
Speaker after speaker rose to address trustees, with some holding handwritten notes and printed articles they had brought with them.
Local resident Cheryl Storrer provided an organized statement, reading from prepared comments.
She asked both German Township and the Village of Archbold to enact a two-to-three-year moratorium on data centers and large solar developments so the community could study electric capacity, water supply, land usage, and emergency services before any commitments were made.
Storrer told officials that local zoning had been written for agriculture and traditional industry, not for modern technology projects that could operate at a far different scale.
IRON RIDGE … Luke Boyers, left, and Austin Dunlap, right, of Iron Ridge Development address questions from residents, outlining the company’s position and responding to concerns during Monday night’s German Township meeting.
She warned that in other communities the original developer was not necessarily the final owner and that agreements could lose their strength after projects were sold or leased to new entities.
A resident who said he had moved to the area within the last several years referenced the Intel related development, stating he had personally seen farms and newer homes cleared and believed local communities there had little opportunity to respond.
He said small towns were vulnerable because projects often arrived faster than local governments could understand them.
Several speakers focused on farmland and long-term solar contracts. One commenter noted that solar leases in other areas had been written for thirty to forty years and said that, once the ground was changed, it would never return to production.
Another resident cited national concerns about food supply and argued that removing productive acreage carried consequences far beyond township lines.
Non-disclosure agreements were also discussed repeatedly from the floor. A speaker who identified himself as having worked on a project for data centers said even contractors were not told who the technology partner was and described that secrecy is common in large developments and that the use of shell companies was abundant.
Momentum built for immediate action and during the exchange, a resident asked for a show of hands to push through a moratorium to prohibit data centers, and another voice from the audience requested that solar farms be added to the same prohibition.
Throughout the comments, speakers repeatedly stated they were not opposed to all growth.
Many said Archbold needed manufacturing and family wage jobs, but they wanted development that fit the community and did not overwhelm utilities or change the rural character overnight.
The consistent request was for time, written protections, and full transparency before any land options became permanent change.
Despite the assurances from developers, many in the audience stated that they remained skeptical.
Several speakers referenced experiences in other Ohio towns where data centers or solar projects advanced after land options were secured by third parties.
Others questioned what would happen if only part of the targeted acreage was assembled. Boyers responded that any land would remain farmed unless a project emerged.
After nearly two hours of discussion, trustees ended the public forum and returned to regular township business. Minutes from the previous meeting were approved along with payment of bills.
The maintenance report noted extensive snow removal work and repairs to township equipment.
Trustees agreed to seek estimates for seal coating several township roads and approved the annual Fulton County EMA agreement and its $1,339 invoice.
Before adjourning, trustees voted to move the next regular meeting to February 23 at 6:00 p.m. rather than the morning time to allow continued public attendance.
Following the rest of the stated agenda items, the meeting was adjourned at 9:09 p.m.