LAKE COUNTY, IL — The Lake County Board on Tuesday approved an eight-month moratorium on data center development in unincorporated areas of the county as officials study potential regulations for the emerging land use.
The moratorium applies only to unincorporated Lake County and does not affect data center projects already approved by individual municipalities, including the massive T5 data center campus in Grayslake.
The county action comes as the Grayslake project moves into construction. The village issued its first building permit for the T5 campus earlier this month, clearing the way for construction of an initial 800,000-square-foot data center on the 473-acre site along Peterson Road.
The larger campus is currently planned to include 11 buildings totaling approximately 6.75 million square feet and represents an estimated $18 billion private development.
Meanwhile, Lake County has not received any proposals for a data center in an unincorporated area, officials said, and the moratorium is not a decision on any specific development project.
The moratorium, which will remain in effect through May 2027, follows unanimous recommendations from the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals on Aug. 18 and the Lake County Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee on Sept. 2. More than 1,200 online public comments were submitted during the county's process, while hundreds of residents and other members of the public attended meetings to share their views on data center development and the proposed moratorium, according to a news release from the county.
Lake County currently does not specifically define or regulate data centers under its Unified Development Ordinance. Officials said the moratorium will allow the county to study potential infrastructure, environmental and community impacts and consider appropriate development standards and restrictions.
"Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide input on this important issue that is top of mind for many people in our communities," Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart said. "This is a critical step in making sure Lake County is prepared to address data centers responsibly by taking the time to do the research, listen to our communities and develop regulations that reflect Lake County's priorities."
Lake County PBZ&E Committee Chair Marah Altenberg said residents had made it clear they wanted officials to take a "thoughtful and deliberate approach" to data center development.
If officials propose changes to county ordinances as a result of the study, residents will have opportunities to review the proposals and provide public comment before the county board considers any action. County officials also intend to develop a regulatory framework that could serve as a resource for surrounding communities considering whether and how to address data center development in their own jurisdictions.
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