NEW CARLISLE, Ind. -- St. Joseph County Executive Director of Economic Development Bill Schalliol confirmed to ABC57 that the St. Joseph County Area Plan Commission voted 7-0 on an unfavorable recommendation for rezoning land for a potential data center.

The proposal was to rezone 1,057 acres. Despite this vote, this proposal still goes to committee with the St. Joseph County Council on Sept. 23.

If passed it would go to a public hearing in October and then go from there.

The company looking to purchase the property is Mall-O-Manor LLC. The application to rezone was filed in April with the request to allow the land to be used for "data centers."

The site currently contains large farm fields, agricultural buildings, and at least two single family homes.

There are also 16 single family homes directly neighboring the rezoning area on smaller lots. All of them are zoned Agricultural.

The Honeysuckle solar energy farm is located to the east.

Currently the county has recommended preserving "highly productive agricultural areas identified on the Future Land Use Plan."

But they mentioned on the agenda that it does "encourage opportunities for business expansion and attraction that focus on job creation and tax base growth."

The agenda also notes that the proposed rezoning is inconsistent with the map of the future land use of the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan.

While outside of New Carlisle's jurisdiction, the New Carlisle 2040 Comprehensive Plan does discuss Timothy Road and Chicago Trail.