The county board has voted to temporarily ban new data centers from being approved in unincorporated Lake County, with one board member saying they bring “serious concerns” and a regulatory review is needed.
The Lake County Board approved a resolution earlier this month to hold a public hearing related to data centers in unincorporated Lake County.
The resolution directs the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals to conduct the hearing, which will be used to discuss proposed amendments to the Code of Ordinances that would both define data centers and establish an eight-month temporary moratorium on data centers.
Data centers are not currently specifically defined or regulated under county ordinances.
The county board’s action earlier this month did not actually impose the eight-month moratorium, which will take several weeks to several months to complete the actual text amendment process.
The board’s approval of the resolution did authorize the Lake County Planning, Building and Development department to pause review of data center applications for a period of up to four months.
The two separate actions implemented aim to provide county staff with sufficient time to evaluate and develop appropriate definitions, zoning classifications, performance standards and review procedures for data centers before development proposals can move forward.
“With any emerging land use issue, it is important that Lake County takes the time needed to research, study and fully understand the potential impacts before making decisions on appropriate regulations,” Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart said.
“A temporary moratorium will provide time to evaluate this matter and engage the public through a formal and transparent process,” Hart said.
Lake County PBZ&E Committee Chair Marah Altenberg said data centers raise important questions related to water and energy use, infrastructure demand and long-term planning.
“It is critical that the County takes the time to carefully evaluate these considerations prior to drafting standards and restrictions around this evolving land use. A temporary moratorium would help us do that,” Altenberg said.
The public hearing to discuss the eight-month temporary moratorium will be scheduled for later this summer and proper notice will be given to residents, county officials said.
The proposed temporary moratorium under consideration applies only to unincorporated Lake County.
The county board does not have any data center applications pending; however, the Village of Grayslake approved a T5 Data Center Campus in incorporated Grayslake, which has sparked scrutiny and criticism by residents in the area.
District 16 Lake County Board Member Esiah A. Campos said he voted in favor of the resolution because the community “deserves the time and diligence necessary to get this right.”
“Data centers represent a significant and rapidly growing industry, but they also bring serious concerns that cannot be overlooked. These facilities can place substantial demands on local water resources, increase electricity consumption, and contribute additional strain on our power grid,” Campos said.
“Before approving large-scale developments that may impact our residents for decades to come, we have a responsibility to fully understand their long-term effects and establish appropriate safeguards,” he added.
The approved Grayslake data center covers up to 472 acres and up to 10.1 million square feet across several buildings along Peterson Road between Alleghany Road and Route 83.
The village approved the data center following public hearings but litigation is now expected by residents who hope to block the campus from being built.