Lake County Wants Your Input On The Data Center
Lake County, Illinois, has initiated a public hearing on a proposed temporary moratorium of up to eight months on data centers in unincorporated areas. This action comes in response to community concerns about environmental impacts like water usage, heat, noise, and light pollution. The county also implemented an administrative deferral to temporarily pause data center applications while the moratorium process is underway.
The Lake County Board in Illinois has approved a resolution to initiate a public hearing on a proposed temporary moratorium for data centers in unincorporated areas of the county. The resolution directs the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals to conduct a public hearing on proposed text amendments to the Lake County Code of Ordinances, aiming to establish a temporary moratorium of up to eight months. This initiative stems from growing interest in data center development nationwide and local concerns regarding impacts on the water table, heat, exhaust, noise, and light pollution.
According to Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, it is crucial for Lake County to research and understand the potential impacts of emerging land use issues like data centers before making regulatory decisions. A temporary moratorium would provide time for evaluation and public engagement through a transparent process. Mara Altonberg, Chair of the Lake County Planning, Building, Zoning, and Environment (PBZ&E) Committee, emphasized the importance of carefully evaluating questions related to water and energy use, infrastructure demand, and long-term planning before drafting standards.
Additionally, the PBZ&E Committee authorized a temporary administrative deferral, allowing the Lake County Planning, Building, and Development Department to pause the review of data center applications for up to 120 days while the zoning text amendment process for the moratorium is underway. The public hearing on the temporary moratorium is expected to be scheduled for later in the summer, with the county following statutory notification procedures. The proposed moratorium applies only to unincorporated Lake County. This move follows significant grassroots efforts and community voices raising concerns about data center developments in the region, including the Grayslake T5 data center.