Barrington Hills residents push back after developer withdraws data center presentation

Barrington Hills residents pressed trustees on Jan. 26 to block any future proposals for a large data center after the developer informed the village it would not move forward with a planned informational presentation.

At the meeting, multiple residents said the project—previously discussed in December—would be incompatible with the village’s R1 five-acre zoning and the community’s equestrian, open-space character. “Please don’t end our heritage,” Mary Ellen Peterson said, urging trustees to protect the village’s large lots, quiet environment and aquifer.

Aaron Becker, a resident with land-use experience, told trustees the proposal resembled a spot rezoning that departs from surrounding land uses and the comprehensive plan. Becker said Illinois courts require that rezoning decisions align with a municipality’s comprehensive plan and warned that approving an industrial-scale use would set a precedent across the village. “Simply put, you can't rezone because you want more tax revenue,” he said, arguing a change would require demonstrating benefits to public health, safety and welfare.

Other residents emphasized local impacts. Chris Yamamoto said a data center represents industrial-scale infrastructure with heavy electricity and water needs and urged consistent application of land-use standards. Ron Barlow, speaking for the equestrian community, said he believes high-frequency noise and emissions from data centers can harm horses’ health and called for rejection of any nearby proposals.

Several speakers raised procedural and transparency concerns about a December presentation by the developer. Karen Traska said the developer’s presentation had not been on the agenda, lacked public notice, included handouts and visuals, and took place before any formal application was filed; she also asked why a large FOIA response arrived near the deadline. “Why were procedures that promote transparency not followed?” she asked.

Caitlin Segg questioned the developer’s revenue claims, which she said included projections of roughly $20 million in annual property taxes and more than $10 million in utility taxes. Segg cautioned that state tax incentives could reduce tax payments and that promised revenues might arrive decades later while environmental impacts would be immediate.

Martin McLaughlin, a former village president and current state representative, urged trustees to pursue an intergovernmental agreement with nearby East Dundee to protect village borders and urged staff and the village attorney to prevent outside groups from presenting before the normal planning process is complete.

Trustees and meeting leaders repeatedly characterized the December discussion as informational and said no application or rezoning proposal had been filed. A board representative told the audience the developer had informed the village that it would not be presenting to the planning commission at this time; trustees said any future data center would require zoning relief and potentially an amendment to the comprehensive plan.

The planning commission’s scheduled informational meeting was canceled after the developer’s notification. Trustees did not take formal action on rezoning at the Jan. 26 meeting; public comment closed and the board moved on to routine business.

What’s next: The developer’s withdrawal removed the immediate scheduling of a presentation, but residents and a former village president urged the board to pursue intergovernmental safeguards and to apply zoning standards consistently if a future proposal is filed.