GRAYSLAKE, IL — A Grayslake meeting on the controversial T5 data center project was postponed Thursday after the planned venue pulled out amid safety concerns, following a series of social media comments that included apparent threats to burn down officials' homes and calls for violence against village board members.
The Village of Grayslake said the University Center of Lake County, which was scheduled to host Thursday evening's extended public comment session, notified the village it could no longer accommodate the meeting. The village said recent social media activity and other information had raised safety concerns, with area law enforcement agencies expressing similar concerns.
Among the comments highlighted by the village was one that said, "START GOING TO THEIR HOUSES AND HANG THEM AND BURN THEM DOWN," followed by a reference to guns and ammunition. Other comments called for bringing back public hangings and executions and urged people to "get the bats" and beat members of the village council.
The comments appeared in response to an Aug. 18 Instagram post from the account @lakecountypsl, which criticized the village board's handling of public comment about the T5 data center.
The village did not say whether any of the social media commenters had been identified, whether any specific threat was considered credible or whether an investigation had been opened into the comments.
Thursday's meeting was intended to be the final extended public comment session on the T5 data center, which has already been approved by the village. Under the village's previously announced plan, residents would return to the regular 15-minute public comment period for non-agenda items after Thursday's session.
The village had planned to hold the extended session at 6 p.m. at the University Center of Lake County. Officials have not announced a new date or location.
"The well-being of our residents remains a top priority," the village said in its announcement postponing the meeting. "We thank the community for its patience as we assess the situation and determine next steps."
The postponement follows a Tuesday village board meeting that drew a large crowd of residents opposed to the T5 data center. Public comment was ultimately halted before everyone who had signed up could speak, according to the social media post.
The village previously announced additional security measures for board meetings, including screening before entry and restrictions on bags and backpacks, citing safety concerns and law enforcement information.
The T5 data center project has drawn significant opposition from residents concerned about its potential environmental, health, traffic and quality-of-life impacts, while supporters have pointed to the project's economic benefits.
The village said it will provide additional information about the postponed public comment session once it determines next steps.
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