The DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 2 voted to forward to the City Council a recommendation to annex and rezone roughly 30 acres along the west side of Peace Road between Greenwood Acres Drive and Challenger Drive for a proposed 4-megawatt ground-mounted solar array and two 6,000-square-foot data center buildings.

The proposal — presented by Peyton Childress on behalf of the applicant (referred to in submitted materials as variants of Donato/Donata/Denodo Solar) — would annex the parcel and rezone it from SFR-1 (single-family residential) to PDI-1 (planned development industrial). The commission’s recommendation is conditioned on final plan elements, including a detailed native-vegetation maintenance plan, a cost estimate for decommissioning and compliance with the city’s plan development standards. The City Council is scheduled to hear the item Monday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m.

Why it matters: The site borders the Summit Enclave townhome community and other residences; dozens of residents attended the public hearing to oppose the project or seek more information. Commissioners and staff framed the proposal as an industrial use consistent with the city’s 2022 comprehensive plan, while residents questioned potential impacts on property values, health, noise and water.

Applicant and staff summary

Peyton Childress, speaking for the applicant, described the project as a 4-megawatt, fixed-tilt ground-mounted solar array paired with two air-cooled data-center buildings that would be served by a behind-the-meter configuration. “This is a 4 megawatt solar array. It’s located at 1199 North Peace Road,” Childress said, noting the array’s panels would stand about 8.5 feet tall and be fixed in tilt.

Childress and city staff said two battery energy storage system (BESS) units would sit next to the data buildings; the batteries have built-in air cooling and heating systems. Childress said a draft decommissioning plan and an engineer’s cost estimate for removal will be incorporated into the final submittal, and that the project will pay prevailing wage and offer a four-year electrician apprenticeship program. Staff noted the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) sets setbacks (50 feet from a property line, 100 feet from a residence) and a 15-foot maximum height in the applicable district, and said the proposed panels remain under those limits.

Public concerns and applicant responses

Residents who live in the adjacent Summit Enclave and Greenwood Acres neighborhoods raised objections at the hearing. David Volkening (1476 Cambria Drive) told the commission, “This project will generate wealth by farming cryptocurrency and Bitcoin for Denodo Solar at the financial cost of every member of this community,” and said he feared a decline in home values.

Other speakers, including Ben Thomas (1508 Cambria Drive) and D’Nae Haniotis (who said her husband George sent an email objecting to the data center), asked whether the city or residents would see direct benefits from the electricity generated and whether local water supplies or soil would be affected. Linda Jacobson (1496 Cambria Drive) said recent utility easement clearing had already reduced wildlife in the area and expressed opposition to converting nearby farmland to a solar-and-data use.

The applicant and staff addressed multiple technical concerns: Childress said the data buildings are air-cooled (not water-cooled) and estimated daily water use at roughly 75 to 100 gallons per building for restroom and sink use. He said typical on-site lighting would be dark-sky compliant to limit light pollution, that a glare analysis showed no impact to surrounding properties, and that a noise analysis from a comparable 4-megawatt site in Champaign County found no residential noise impact. On reliability, Childress said excess energy would be exported to the grid under an interconnection agreement with Ameren, and that if the site had extended days of low sunlight a facility could be offline; the applicant said the installation would be tied into the grid so the site can receive power as needed.

Commission discussion and outcome

Commissioners discussed whether a solar-and-data center use would be less disruptive to nearby residents than other potential industrial uses. Several commissioners noted the parcel is called for industrial use in the 2022 comprehensive plan and that the site is already bordered by industrial operations and a substation. Staff reiterated that several final items remain for staff review before construction, including a detailed vegetation and soil-stabilization plan and a final decommissioning cost estimate.

Commissioner Becker moved to forward findings of fact and recommend approval of the annexation and rezoning and the preliminary/final development plan (the motion text was read into the record). The motion was seconded by Commissioner Wright; a roll-call vote was taken and the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for final action on Sept. 8, 2025. (The City Council has final approval authority.)

Key numbers and project features

- Site area: approximately 30 acres
- Solar capacity: 4 megawatts
- Data center buildings: two at 6,000 square feet each
- Panel height: approximately 8.5 feet (fixed tilt)
- Fence: 6-foot perimeter fence (per electrical code)
- Setbacks: UDO requires 50 feet to a property line and 100 feet to residences; applicant meets those standards
- Anticipated water use: 75–100 gallons per day per data building (for restrooms/sinks)
- Decommissioning: panels and mounting structures typically planned for 25–30 years; applicant submitted a draft decommissioning plan with a proposed financial assurance mechanism (letter of credit or surety bond)
- Workforce commitments: prevailing wage and a four-year electrician apprenticeship program

Next steps

The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council, which will hold a public hearing and take final action on Sept. 8, 2025, at 6 p.m. Staff also advised the applicant to meet with nearby residents and address outstanding concerns before council consideration.

Ending

Several residents indicated they support a solar-only use but not the combined data-center component; the commission’s recommendation preserves a review path for staff to require additional screening and decommissioning assurances before construction. The City Council will consider the annexation and rezoning at its Sept. 8 meeting.