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Urbana council refers data‑center zoning to Planning Commission after sustained public comment
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment urging reversal of recent zoning changes related to a proposed data center, Urbana City Council voted to have the Law Director draft a resolution referring the zoning ordinance to the Planning Commission and adopted a mission statement for a citizen-led moratorium committee.
Urbana City Council voted April 21 to ask the city Law Director to draft a resolution referring recent zoning changes tied to a proposed data center to the Planning Commission for formal review, following extended public comment and concern about the scale and process of the zoning change.
Residents pressed the council during the public‑comment period. Brad Winner of 670 E. Ward St. said the city “got the data center project wrong,” accused the council of turning a conditional use into a principal use to avoid public hearings and warned the city could face litigation if the zoning stands. Robert Woodburn of 780 Campground Rd. urged council to account for inconsistent developer site plans and said the primary building shown could be “about eight football fields” in size. Erin Patton of 944 S. Main St. described stress and health fears she connected to the proposal and cited a data‑center lawsuit settled in Oregon related to nitrogen exposure.
Council members discussed how to provide a structured review. Councilmember Ms. Jumper moved that Law Director Mark Feinstein draft a resolution to refer the zoning matter to the Planning Commission; the motion passed unanimously. Council also approved, by roll call, adopting the written mission statement proposed by moratorium committee co‑chair Joe Buckalew to guide the committee’s work.
Mr. Buckalew had asked the council to confirm the committee’s purpose: to conduct a thorough and balanced analysis of the benefits and impacts of a data center and to produce specific, measurable recommendations for council consideration. After council approval, the committee will continue work with the clarified mission statement, and any official zoning change would next proceed through the Planning Commission and required public hearings.
Mayor Bill Bean, who participated in the moratorium meeting, told residents they may contact him directly. The council discussed logistics for an earlier referral but concluded timing and notice requirements made a special meeting impractical; instead the Law Director will prepare the referral resolution for the next meeting.
The council’s action does not itself change zoning; it initiates a formal planning‑commission review and sets a committee mission. Additional hearings or ordinance readings would be required before any zoning amendment could be adopted or reversed.
