Judge to Decide Whether Lawsuit Challenging Sangamon County Data Center Approval Proceeds
Residents near CyrusOne’s proposed hyperscale data center in Sangamon County sued to overturn the County Board’s conditional use approval, citing procedural and environmental concerns. County and CyrusOne attorneys are asking a circuit judge to dismiss the lawsuit, while residents challenge whether the project’s utility service documentation was adequate.
The Sangamon County Board approved a conditional use permit in April for CyrusOne to build a hyperscale data center on 280 acres of farmland by a 17-10 vote. Nearby residents filed suit in July, arguing that the approval was procedurally improper and that the project’s environmental and utility documentation was insufficient.
Circuit Judge Adam Giganti is expected to decide whether the case proceeds. County and CyrusOne attorneys argue the board had a rational basis for approval, citing projected economic growth, jobs and tax revenue, and maintain that missing utility documents could be supplied under the conditional permit. Plaintiffs dispute the adequacy of the electricity and water service letters, noting that a Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative document refers to a different, smaller Diamond Core project and that Apple Creek Water Cooperative was still reviewing CyrusOne’s application.