Yorkville again pushes back vote on data center near Caledonia subdivision

The Yorkville City Council has postponed a vote on the 80-acre Meyer data center proposal, near the Caledonia subdivision, tabling it until April 28 at the request of the developers, Yorkville Nexus V LLC and Green Door Capital. This marks the second time the decision has been deferred, following a previous tabling from March 24. Residents from the Caledonia subdivision have voiced strong opposition to the project, citing concerns over potential sound, light, and environmental pollution, as well as the proximity of large warehouses to their homes. During a previous meeting, residents spoke for hours against data center developments, with one stating, 'nobody wants to live in data center row.' This public outcry contributed to the city's planning and zoning commission unanimously rejecting the proposal on January 14. In response to the feedback, the developers have made significant changes to the proposal, including leaving a 37-acre parcel east of Rob Roy Creek zoned for multi-family residential and downsizing a 40-acre parcel to single-story warehouses. They have also committed to a $10 million impact fee for the 80 acres of development, with a $1 million non-refundable prepayment. However, residents remain skeptical, particularly regarding the effectiveness of proposed landscaping berms. Matt Gilbert, representing Green Door Capital, noted that a Planned Unit Development (PUD) would be submitted later once an end-user is secured. Amidst the ongoing debate, residents have organized a 'Say No To Data Centers' public protest scheduled for April 27 at Town Square Park in Yorkville. The city currently has 3,016 acres slated for data center development along its ComEd transmission line, encompassing various projects, including the already approved Project Steel and Project Cardinal, as well as a 228-acre CyrusOne data center.