By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald
Hoffman Estates village board members Monday heard from critics of the proposed rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property for a possible data center campus.
Although the issue wasn’t on the agenda, the board allowed half an hour for public comment.
Earlier this month, the village’s plan commission voted 4-2 against landowner Karis Critical of Florida’s request to rezone the site at Higgins Road and Route 59 to permit manufacturing. This classification could allow for a data center.
In January, Karis Critical’s proposal for a data center in Naperville was rejected by the city council there.
Monday’s opponents to the Hoffman Estates rezoning request included state representatives and candidates as well as the village presidents of neighboring South Barrington and Barrington Hills.
Critics from Hoffman Estates, South Barrington and Barrington Hills Monday voiced their opposition to rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property at the northwest corner of routes 59 and 72 in Hoffman Estates that could allow a data campus there. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com, 2019
Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills spoke to infrastructure pressures like increased water and electricity demand, pointing out that even Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker had recently paused the state’s economic incentive for data centers.
“If you’ve opened up an electrical bill lately, you know increased electricity demand is one of the problems with AI centers,” McLaughlin said. “Unfortunately, this has not been planned for well by Springfield politicians. And now, with potential AI center draw, it’s a double-whammy for utility payers and I cannot support this.”
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