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Resident urges committee to reject M2 rezoning for proposed data center, calls for environmental studies
Summary
Two residents told the Planning & Zoning Committee they oppose changing Plum Farm land to M2 heavy industrial zoning for a data center without completed environmental, utility-grid and stormwater studies and urged the committee to honor the commission's prior recommendation against rezoning.
Bridget Jordan, a longtime resident, told the Planning & Zoning Committee she and many neighbors oppose reclassifying the Plum Farm property to M2 heavy-industrial zoning for a data center without first completing environmental and utility studies.
"You can't intelligently assess the impacts of the data center or any other M2 use if you don't have first completed environmental impact studies, utility grid capacity studies, storm water delineation, wetlands, and so on," Jordan said, and asked the committee to "stand with your constituents" and respect the commission's recommendation to vote no on the zoning change.
Jordan said she spoke at the June 3 meeting and that hundreds attended with dozens offering public comment. She also told the committee she was concerned the public hearing that may be scheduled around the July 4 holiday weekend could reduce public participation: "having it on holiday weekend felt like it was when the public is most distracted."
Kim Van Pawson, another resident, urged committee members to review the full record of comments submitted at the prior meeting, praising the speakers as "articulate" and citing concerns raised about the forest preserve, health risks, noise and pollution.
Committee members acknowledged they have received a large volume of phone messages and public comment but did not take action on the zoning matter at the June 8 meeting. The committee chair indicated formal board consideration of the zoning request is likely to occur at a future board meeting in early July.
Why it matters: Changing land to M2 zoning permits a broader set of heavy-industrial uses and, depending on site-specific approvals, could allow data centers or other intensive industrial operations. Residents asked the committee to require environmental, hydrologic and utility-grid analyses before advancing rezoning that they said could permanently reshape the surrounding area.
Next steps: Committee members said the zoning change would likely move to the board for formal consideration; no vote on the rezoning was recorded in this session.
