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Archive for the ‘Land Use’ Category

Change.org Petition: “Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates”

Posted in AI, Cellular Service, Cook, County, Data Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Unions on June 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Issue

“We need your support to stop Hoffman Estates Village Board from rezoning the 185-acre Plum Farms property at the northwest corner of 72/Higgins and Rt 59/New Sutton Rd from Mixed Residential and Retail to zoning that will allow for data centers, manufacturing, and distribution. Residents in Hoffman Estates, South Barrington, and Barrington Hills cherish the high quality of life, fresh air, and safe environment — not the 24/7 hum of diesel generators and industrial noise. Specifically, this petition request is to halt Hoffman Estates’ approval of a zoning change that would allow for a third data center property within a few miles of two existing data centers. A data center situated across the road from hundreds of residents and very close to two other data centers is not a reasonable location. The noise, diesel emissions, and industrial-scale activity don’t belong near homes, many retail, restaurants, and wonderful outdoor venues on the South and East side of Rt. 72 and Rt. 59.

Local residents, city and state officials, environmental, and public health advocates voiced their concerns at the June 3 Hoffman Estates Plan Commission Meeting regarding the Plum Farm rezoning request. Hoffman Estates Planning Board recently voted at the end of a long evening against the rezoning request, with a vote of 4 to 2.  However, the decision now rests with the Village Board, which is not obligated to adhere to the Planning Commission’s recommendation.  We need to get everyone’s voice to each and every Village Trustee to ensure they understand the voice of the people, and to accept the recommendation of their own Planning Board.”

View and please sign the petition here, then share.

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Village Adjudication Hearing(s) today

Posted in Land Use, Village Attorney, Village Code on June 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The monthly Village Adjudication Hearing(s) is scheduled for today at 11 AM in the MacArthur Board Room.

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What’s next for Pritzker’s stalled housing plan?

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Daily Herald, Elections, Ethics, Land Use, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Traffic, Unions, Village Code, Zoning Board on June 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Wood trusses are moved into place on townhomes being built in Pingree Grove last month. A series of proposals backed by Gov. JB Pritzker to encourage more multifamily housing failed to move through the state legislature before its spring session ended. | Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

By Russell Lissau | Daily Herald

A plan to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois wasn’t the only high-profile legislative proposal not to cross the goal line before the General Assembly’s spring session concluded last weekend.

Neither did Gov. JB Pritzker’s controversial measures encouraging more multifamily housing construction by mandating less-stringent zoning rules.

Named Building Up Illinois Developments, or BUILD, the proposal was introduced by the governor in February to resolve a housing shortage in the state. It consisted of multiple bills in the state House and Senate and was promoted by Pritzker in the months that followed.

But as the clock ticked down in Springfield, the plan fizzled. No votes were taken on any of the primary BUILD components; in fact, they weren’t even assigned to committees for debate.

“The fact that this proposal did not even make it through committee speaks volumes about how little support it had, even among Democrats,” said Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills, an outspoken BUILD critic.

In a news conference after the General Assembly adjourned, Pritzker said he’ll continue to fight for BUILD. He noted the new state budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars for housing initiatives.

Article continues here.

Related: “Gov. JB Pritzker’s multiunit housing (BUILD Act/Plan) plans for Illinois stall in Springfield’s spring session,” “Why McHenry County officials could ask voters for home rule powers,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie provides an update of Pritzker’s proposed BUILD Act,” “Village of Barrington President shares perspectives on Pritzker’s BUILD plans,” “(Ignoring public opinion) Pritzker says of BUILD Plan for homes would not cost taxpayers,” “Gov. JB Pritzker’s ambitious housing plan for Illinois: More four-flats, looser rules,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “McLaughlin’s press conference video recording regarding Pritzker’s proposed municipal zoning powers grab posted,” “‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential It’s just zoning”

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Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project

Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Data Center, Ethics, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, News Media, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Village Code on June 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Charlie De Mar | CBS News

After Naperville recently rejected a proposed data center in its community, the same company proposed a facility in Hoffman Estates, but their request for a zoning change was voted down by the village’s Plan Commission.

Most of the people who spoke at a nearly three-hour Hoffman Estates Plan Commission meeting on Wednesday opposed the project. In a 4-2 vote, the Plan Commission voted against rezoning the land sought for a new data center.

Construction is already underway at two data center sites in Hoffman Estates, and a data center developer has set its sights on a third facility. The company appeared before the Plan Commission, requesting to rezone the proposed site at Higgins Road and Route 59.

A packed meeting that spilled into the hallway was filled with residents who were overwhelmingly against the rezoning.

“They shouldn’t change zoning unless it benefits the community and it’s in the public interest, and I don’t believe that this is,” Meg Myalls said.

“This is not what the citizens want. We already have the other two data centers,” Doreen Gibrich said.

Lawmakers in Springfield didn’t have the votes during their spring session to approve new legislation that would restrict data center water and energy use in Illinois.

Report continues including video here.

Related: “Hoffman Estates Plum Farm June 3rd Plan Commission Meeting Essentials,” “After being rejected in Naperville, company could build data center in Hoffman Estates,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie posts information regarding June 3 Hoffman Estates (Plum Farms) Plan Commission meeting,” “(Plum Farms) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 3,” “Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property,” “Hoffman Estates approves sewer, water for development of 185 acres west of The Arboretum,” “Hoffman Estates approves tax incentive at routes 59, 72,” “District 220 lawsuit against Hoffman Estates, Plum Farms developers dismissed,” “South Barrington residents sue over Hoffman Estates development,” “Editorial: Listen to agencies that would feel consequences of Hoffman Estates development”

 

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Special Equestrian Commission (Riding Club) meeting tonight

Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Red, Commercial Horse Boarding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), E-bikes, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Horizon Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Simple Minds, Unions, Village Director of Administration, Well Water Quality on June 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Equestrian Commission/Riding Club will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • RECOGNITION OF EMILY MCHUGH, FIRST EQUESTRIAN COMMISSION CHAIR
  • HORSE/LARGE ANIMAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN – DISCUSSION
  • JULY 4 AMERICA250 CELEBRATION: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ROLE OF HORSES IN THE FOUNDING OF OUR NATION*
  • REGISTER NOW: LAND WE LOVE RUN AMERICA250 5K/10K OR 2-MILE WALK ON JUNE 28, 2026

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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Gov. JB Pritzker’s multiunit housing (BUILD Act/Plan) plans for Illinois stall in Springfield’s spring session

Posted in BACOG, Chicago Tribune, Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Immigration, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, Springfield, Unions, Village Code on June 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Olivia Olander | Chicago Tribune

Illinois will not broadly allow multiunit housing on single-family residential lots, at least for now, after a package of housing ideas championed by Gov. JB Pritzker failed to pass during the General Assembly’s spring session.

Faced with concerns about usurping local control of zoning issues related to housing, the governor’s office and its allies this weekend punted on the plans, which were among the governor’s most ambitious policy proposals this year, after they couldn’t round up the necessary support among lawmakers.

“I’m going to continue to fight for it, because we need more housing in the state,” Pritzker said at a post-session news conference in his ceremonial Capitol office Monday. He noted that some of his biggest legislative goals have taken longer than a year to come to fruition, including his school cellphone ban, which the General Assembly passed over the weekend.

Still, deferring negotiations over increasing so-called middle housing across the state to a later date is a mark against the governor’s record in Springfield this election-year spring session — one that will likely be remembered most vividly for the legislature’s inability to pass a Bears stadium deal.

Despite the housing package being presented in a year when Democrats have sought to prove they’re the party of affordability ahead of the November midterm elections, Pritzker indicated he didn’t see its failure as a political liability. The plan showed voters his priorities, he suggested, even if they couldn’t be enacted.

“Are you kidding me? I think — the question is, do you want to elect somebody who’s actually for building more housing, or somebody who doesn’t have any plan at all?” Pritzker said when asked about the politics of the housing issue.

The governor is up for reelection to a third term this fall, in a race against former state lawmaker Darren Bailey, the long-shot Republican candidate. On social media Sunday, Bailey railed against Pritzker’s so-called BUILD Illinois plan as a “full-scale assault on Illinois suburbs.”

Article continues here.

Related: “Why McHenry County officials could ask voters for home rule powers,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie provides an update of Pritzker’s proposed BUILD Act,” “Village of Barrington President shares perspectives on Pritzker’s BUILD plans,” “(Ignoring public opinion) Pritzker says of BUILD Plan for homes would not cost taxpayers,” “Gov. JB Pritzker’s ambitious housing plan for Illinois: More four-flats, looser rules,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “McLaughlin’s press conference video recording regarding Pritzker’s proposed municipal zoning powers grab posted,” “‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential It’s just zoning”

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Hoffman Estates Plum Farm June 3rd Plan Commission Meeting Essentials

Posted in AI, BACOG, Cell Towers, Cellular Service, Cook, County, Data Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, OMA, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic on June 2, 2026| 3 Comments »

Date/Time:     Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Location:         1900 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates
Agenda Item:  “Rezoning from the C-MU (Commercial Mixed Use) and TN (Traditional Neighborhood) districts to the M-2 (Manufacturing) district for the property located north of Higgins Road between the Canadian National Railway and New Sutton Road (Plum Farms)”
Documents:

The agenda can be found here.

This meeting is not available via Zoom or YouTube. Written comments can be sent to PLANNING@HOFFMANESTATES.ORG or, of course, one can attend the hearing and speak.

Related: “After being rejected in Naperville, company could build data center in Hoffman Estates,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie posts information regarding June 3 Hoffman Estates (Plum Farms) Plan Commission meeting,” “(Plum Farms) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 3,” “Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property,” “Hoffman Estates approves sewer, water for development of 185 acres west of The Arboretum,” “Hoffman Estates approves tax incentive at routes 59, 72,” “District 220 lawsuit against Hoffman Estates, Plum Farms developers dismissed,” “South Barrington residents sue over Hoffman Estates development,” “Editorial: Listen to agencies that would feel consequences of Hoffman Estates development”

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After being rejected in Naperville, company could build data center in Hoffman Estates

Posted in AI, BACOG, Daily Herald, Data Center, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Sears, South Barrington on June 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Hoffman Estates plan commissions Wednesday will hear will hear a request to rezone to manufacturing the 186-acre Plum Parms property northwest of Higgins Road and Route 59, potentially a third data center campus in the village. This view looks south towards Higgins Road, with Old Sutton Road at the center of the image. | Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com

By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald

A company that saw its plans for a Naperville data center rejected in January is now looking to rezone the 186-acre Plum Farms property in Hoffman Estates.

The village’s plan commission will hear the rezoning request Wednesday.

Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod announced at his state of the village address in February 2025 that Florida-based Karis Critical had bought the property at Higgins Road and Route 59 with an interest in developing the village’s third data center campus.

Now doing business as H.E. Holdings LLC, the property owner is currently only asking for a rezoning from the vacant site’s commercial mixed-use and traditional neighborhood classifications to manufacturing.

If the rezoning is approved, the owner plans to contract with a developer for a detailed proposal.

This news has sparked opposition from residents in nearby Barrington Hills. They have sent letters to the plan commissioners and to state representative Martin McLaughlin, a former Barrington Hills village president.

Article continues here.

Related: “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie posts information regarding June 3 Hoffman Estates (Plum Farms) Plan Commission meeting,” “(Plum Farms) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 3,” “Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property,” “Hoffman Estates approves sewer, water for development of 185 acres west of The Arboretum,” “Hoffman Estates approves tax incentive at routes 59, 72,” “District 220 lawsuit against Hoffman Estates, Plum Farms developers dismissed,” “South Barrington residents sue over Hoffman Estates development,” “Editorial: Listen to agencies that would feel consequences of Hoffman Estates development”

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Plan Commission Special Meeting tonight

Posted in Agendas, Land Use, Plan Commission, Property Taxes, Public Hearing, Real Estate, Village Attorney, Village Director of Administration on May 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Village Plan Commission will hold a special meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

PUBLIC HEARING

  • Approval of a Final Plat of Subdivision Filed by the Owner of 60 Spring Creek Road, Consolidating Property Commonly Known as 60 Spring Creek Road and 56 Ridge Road Into One Single Lot, PINs 20-29-400-006, 20-29-400-007, and 20-29-400-017 (Application documentation found here)
  • Approval of a Final Plat of Subdivision Filed by the Owner of 21 Peraino Circle, Consolidating Property Commonly Known as 19 and 21 Peraino Circle Into One Single Lot, PINs 13-33-301-024 and 13-33-301-016. (Application documentation found here)

PUBLIC MEETING

  • [Vote] Approval of a Final Plat of Subdivision Filed by the Owner of 60 Spring Creek Road Consolidating Property Commonly Known as 60 Spring Creek Road and 56 Ridge Road Into One Single Lot, PINs 20-29-400-006, 20-29 400-007, and 20-29-400-017
  • [Vote] Approval of a Final Plat of Subdivision Filed by the Owner of 21 Peraino Circle, Consolidating Property Commonly Known as 19 and 21 Peraino Circle Into One Single Lot, PINs 13-33-301-024 and 13-33-301-016

A copy of the agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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Why McHenry County officials could ask voters for home rule powers

Posted in Cost of Living, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fat Bastard, Girlie man, Immigration, Land Use, Plan Commission, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Privacy, Real Estate, Shaw Local, Springfield, Unions, Zoning Board on May 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Claire O’Brien | Shaw Media

As McHenry County officials express frustration at state legislation that they say erodes local control, they’re considering asking voters for permission to become home rule.

Home rule is a classification that allows a local government to enact laws as it sees fit, as long as they’re not in conflict with state laws. That includes more leeway to impose fees, restrictions and taxes.

Though some municipalities in McHenry County have home rule powers, Cook County is the only county in Illinois with such powers.

In recent years, solar farms have been a source of frustration for McHenry County officials because state law has limited the county’s ability to regulate such facilities.

Now, officials at the county and in several municipalities have expressed frustration over the proposed BUILD Act — Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan that would limit local authority on what types of housing structures can be built on land zoned for residential.

So McHenry County officials are considering asking voters to weigh in on a home-rule request during the November election.

Article continues here.

Related: “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie provides an update of Pritzker’s proposed BUILD Act,” “Village of Barrington President shares perspectives on Pritzker’s BUILD plans,” “(Ignoring public opinion) Pritzker says of BUILD Plan for homes would not cost taxpayers,” “Gov. JB Pritzker’s ambitious housing plan for Illinois: More four-flats, looser rules,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “McLaughlin’s press conference video recording regarding Pritzker’s proposed municipal zoning powers grab posted,” “‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential It’s just zoning”

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