Judge dismisses data center lawsuit
Circuit Judge Adam Giganti dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Sangamon County Board's approval of zoning for a hyperscale data center in Talkington Township. Nearby residents had alleged procedural violations and inadequate consideration of environmental concerns, but the court rejected their request for judicial review.
Circuit Judge Adam Giganti dismissed a lawsuit filed by residents near the proposed hyperscale data center site in Talkington Township. The residents sought to overturn the Sangamon County Board's April 7 approval of a conditional-use permit for construction on 280 acres of farmland, alleging procedural violations and insufficient attention to environmental issues.
Attorneys for Sangamon County argued that the board's conditional approval allowed required documents to be submitted later and that projected economic benefits provided a rational basis for the decision. County estimates cited in the case project approximately $71 million in property-tax revenue for taxing bodies, including about $445,000 annually for Sangamon County over 20 years.