McLean County ZBA sends more stringent data center rules to county board

The McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has unanimously approved more detailed zoning regulations for data centers, which now await a vote from the county board at its June 11 meeting. The proposed rules specify requirements for infrastructure, lighting, power, and water usage.

Lea Cline, chair of the Land Use and Transportation Committee, stated that the updates were necessary due to evolving issues surrounding data centers and a lack of clear direction from the state. The new standards require facility owners to identify and mitigate impacts on public infrastructure, provide specialized emergency training, detail water and wastewater plans, specify electricity needs and sources, outline backup power systems, and submit decommissioning plans. They also include a 15-foot evergreen foliage setback. Phil Dick, Director of Building and Zoning, noted that McLean County's proposed rules are more restrictive than those in other Central Illinois counties. Cline emphasized that the county's role is to regulate land use through zoning, not the broader data center industry, urging the state to provide clearer direction.

The Illinois General Assembly recently failed to act on the POWER Act, a comprehensive data center regulation bill. Several county residents voiced support for the ZBA's changes, with Ruth Burke of Cheney’s Grove expressing relief that the "guardrails protect me — and all of you" from potential diesel emissions and dry wells. Anna Ziegler of Bloomington suggested a wording change for water reporting that was adopted, while Tricia Braid's suggestion for detailed lighting requirements was acknowledged but not incorporated.