Lake County Council approves rezoning that clears path for proposed data center; residents demand health, environmental review

The Lake County Council on June 9 approved a series of rezoning ordinances, including a vote to reclassify land from agricultural to light-industrial that county staff said is a procedural step required before any special-exception application to build a data center can proceed.

County counsel and planning staff told the council the ordinance (Ordinance No. 2602, Johnson Sunnybrook Farm LLC) changes the zoning district from A1 to M1 and does not itself approve a data-center development; it instead allows proponents to later apply for special exceptions and site-plan review that will require separate public hearings. The council approved the measure on a roll-call vote, recorded as 6 yes, 1 absent.

Why it matters: Opponents said the rezoning removes a significant local barrier to a large, potentially multibuilding data center and called for additional review beyond the statutory path. Dozens of residents and township officials used the public-comment period to press the council for more study of health, environmental and long-term economic impacts before development advances.

"Most people in South Lake County do not want this data center," said Tyler Bridges, a Lowell resident who addressed the council during public comment. "It's unacceptable that you guys did not hear public comment" before voting to accept the rezoning process, he said.

A resident with data-center experience, Steve Boyle, warned of potential financial exposure if large corporate investment in data centers and artificial-intelligence infrastructure slows. "What you did vote for today is you proved Larry Fink to use my 401(k), my investments, and my savings account to pay for those data centers and infrastructure," Boyle said, arguing taxpayers could be left with costs if projects stall.

Several public commenters requested a formal health and environmental impact study, citing concerns about emissions, diesel backup generators, groundwater and noise. Katie Hurst, who said her property borders the proposed site, read multiple sections of the Lake County comprehensive plan that describe southern Lake County as primarily agricultural and call for limiting development outside designated growth areas.

Council and staff response: Planning staff and county counsel repeatedly said that rezoning is only one step in a multi-stage land-use process. Planning staff explained that an affirmative rezoning vote allows applicants to pursue a special-exception application before the board of zoning appeals, which will hold public hearings; site development review and conditions or commitments can be imposed at those stages. Planner remarks noted annual reporting requirements and enforcement options tied to special exceptions.

County counsel also said the council's updated ordinances include decommissioning provisions intended to require developers to post surety funds so taxpayers would not bear cleanup costs if a facility is decommissioned.

What happens next: If proponents pursue a data-center project, they must apply for a special exception before the board of zoning appeals and return to the planning commission for required reviews and public hearings. Residents may have additional opportunities to comment at those meetings. Council members indicated interest in further ordinance-committee work to address technology-specific issues such as lighting, decommissioning language, and heat-expulsion standards for closed-loop cooling systems.

The council approved other related rezoning measures the same day (Ordinance Nos. 2603, 2604 and 2605) and recorded votes for each; planners noted that battery-energy-storage projects follow similar special-exception paths.

The council closed the meeting after a lengthy public-comment period that emphasized community concerns over health studies and long-term local impacts.