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Residents praise updated data center ordinance and urge stronger protections
Summary
Speakers at the McLean County Board meeting praised land-use committee work to strengthen data center zoning, while residents urged clarifications on battery storage caps, setbacks, wastewater reuse and owner accountability; one board member said the ordinance was improperly placed on the consent agenda.
Two residents told the McLean County Board they support recently updated data center zoning rules and want the board to adopt stronger protections.
"These regulations are extremely important," said Michelle Blatzheim, an organizer with Illinois People's Action, thanking the land use committee and singling out member Klein for her work. Blatzheim urged the board to pass the amended zoning rules, saying the issue is moving quickly and state-level protections are not imminent.
Margaret Kaelin of Downs listed specific technical and regulatory concerns she said should be clarified or strengthened, asking whether limiting battery storage to 5 megawatts would effectively cap data center size, whether a 500-foot setback from dwellings would protect residents from sound, light and emissions, and whether the county should require recycled wastewater rather than allowing fresh aquifer withdrawals. Kaelin also recommended clearer owner accountability for additional public infrastructure costs, mandatory reporting on waste products and stronger wording to ensure owners provide equipment and training to respond to emergencies during construction and operations.
After the public comment period, board member Alex Duffy said he strongly supported the data center ordinance and described it as among the strongest in the Central Illinois region, but criticized the placement of substantial revisions on the consent agenda. "I was a little disappointed that it didn't get the discussion it deserved and that it was crammed into the consent agenda," Duffy said, urging more discussion on significant items in future meetings.
The data center ordinance appeared on the consent agenda and was approved along with other consent items; the meeting record shows the ordinance previously was reviewed in committee and the zoning board of appeals, but no additional public hearing was held at the full board meeting.
