Lake County to conduct hearing on data center temporary moratorium
The Lake County Board in Illinois has adopted a resolution to initiate a public hearing on a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated areas. This temporary pause, which could last up to eight months, is intended to allow the county to study the potential impacts of data centers on infrastructure, water, and energy use. A temporary administrative deferral is also in place, pausing the review of data center applications while the moratorium process is underway.
The Lake County Board in Illinois adopted a resolution on June 9 to initiate a public hearing on a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers within unincorporated areas of the county. This action comes amidst growing nationwide interest in data center development.
The resolution instructs the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals to conduct a public hearing on proposed text amendments to the Lake County Code of Ordinances. These amendments aim to establish a temporary moratorium for up to eight months. The county currently lacks specific definitions or regulations for data centers in its code, and the proposed pause would allow time to evaluate this land use, review best practices, and assess potential infrastructure and environmental considerations.
In addition to the proposed moratorium, the Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee authorized a temporary administrative deferral. This allows the Lake County Planning, Building and Development Department to temporarily halt the review of data center applications for up to 120 days while the zoning text amendment process for the moratorium proceeds.
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart emphasized the importance of thorough research and understanding of potential impacts, including water and energy use, and infrastructure demand, before making regulatory decisions. Marah Altenberg, chair of the PBZ&E Committee, echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for careful evaluation prior to drafting standards. The public hearing for the proposed moratorium will be scheduled for later in the summer, with residents to be notified through the statutorily required process.