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Mayor defends Microsoft data center project as residents raise health and environmental concerns
Summary
During the March 2 Village of Hebron council meeting, the mayor addressed online criticism of a proposed Microsoft data center, described village outreach (a public video and planned FAQ), and read a resident letter raising air-quality and health concerns; council members asked for more independent information.
Mayor opened the discussion during the mayor’s report, telling residents the village has published a video answering common questions about the proposed Microsoft data center and will work with Microsoft to address concerns. She said village staff have identified air-quality monitors for deployment and that the data center’s cooling design is a closed-loop system intended to limit discharges to local water and air.
The mayor read a letter from resident Ashley Marietta Brown expressing opposition to the project and warning of potential health and environmental harms. The letter says, in part, “Data centers pose significant health risks to the surrounding community” and cites modeling suggesting broader public-health impacts; the letter urged the council to reconsider the plan and not make Hebron a test case.
The mayor responded that the village did not sell the land to Microsoft — the land was sold by a private owner — and that any future tax abatement or Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) agreement would require council approval. A village staff member, identified during the meeting as Jared, told the council that entering a CRA in the future would be the body’s decision. The mayor said officials will seek technical answers from professionals, post a FAQ on the village website, and publicize air-monitoring data for residents to view.
Council members asked for more independent research beyond materials provided by Microsoft and noted that the project has been under discussion for roughly three years. One council member said some of the studies cited in public comments are older or concern data centers that burn fuel on site; the mayor encouraged residents to keep asking questions so the council can pursue clearer answers.
The mayor also highlighted local workforce and education steps tied to the project: she noted that the regional campus (COTC) announced tuition-free access for qualifying households and that efforts are underway to connect residents to training opportunities related to data-center jobs. She asked residents to engage neighbors and stressed that choosing to limit business development would have trade-offs for local tax revenue and services.
The council did not take a formal vote on the project during the meeting. The discussion closed with the council agreeing to continue public outreach and to seek additional technical information and monitoring data.
