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Residents press Lee County board for moratorium and stricter rules after 387‑acre parcel marketed for data center
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Lee County Board to adopt a moratorium or stronger ordinances for AI/data centers after a 387‑acre parcel was marketed for data‑center development; commenters cited water use, power upgrades, noise, NDAs and submitted a 2,800‑signature petition.
Dozens of residents and community members used the public‑comment period to urge the Lee County Board to pause further consideration of data‑center development and to strengthen the county’s technology overlay rules.
Multiple speakers noted that the Lee County Industrial Development Association had marketed a 387‑acre parcel near Nelson as a data‑center development opportunity. Ryan Lativius (first commenter) said he had submitted seven proposed amendments to the technology overlay district ordinance and urged the board to ban nondisclosure agreements with applicants, require applicants to disclose projected water use and study groundwater impacts, require clearer provisions for power‑upgrade cost sharing and include a fixed nighttime decibel limit at the property line.
Sarah Dunn, who identified herself as a Whiteside County resident involved in this community, urged a two‑year moratorium on AI/data centers and cited recent studies and media reports about the rapid growth in energy and water demands for AI training clusters. Kevin Dunn and other commenters reiterated concerns about transparency, water withdrawals, continuous noise from cooling equipment and diesel backups, and the potential for rising utility costs for residents.
Marshall Don presented a petition with more than 2,800 signatures organized on Change.org opposing a data center on the advertised parcel and warned of long‑term environmental and economic risks. Other speakers — including Lamont Victor Johnson, Alex Davis and John Thompson (Nelson resident) — urged the board to take time to craft stringent safeguards to protect water, farm wells, quiet rural neighborhoods and long‑term community resilience.
Chair noted at the start of the public‑comment rules that there was no data‑center plan “on the books” and that no application was pending; the board nonetheless said it would take public comments to its County Services committee for follow up. The meeting record shows no formal moratorium or ordinance introduced at this meeting.
