Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Cell Towers, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Transparency, Unions on July 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold a special meeting Monday at 6:30 PM. The sole topic on their agenda is:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here and the meeting will not be available via Zoom.
Related: “Special Closed Session Meeting of the Barrington Hills Park District Board Monday, June 22nd”
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Big Brother, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Roads & Bridges Committee, The Center Square, The New Normal?, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD on July 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Flock cameras such as the one pictured above have been installed at border entrances/exits of all Barrington Hills roads.
By Sean Reed | The Center Square
Across the country, opposition to license plate cameras created by Flock Safety is mounting. Major cities and small communities alike are deciding to end their contracts with the company – Illinois being no exception.
Cities in Illinois, such as Oak Park and Evanston, have chosen to end contracts with the company, even as police departments have said they’re a useful tool in law enforcement.
In Springfield, aldermen were at odds in recent weeks over an ordinance to renew their contract with Flock for two years, costing taxpayers half a million dollars.
On Tuesday, council passed the measure while allowing for more transparency and regular public reports on the cameras’ effectiveness.
“It’s some simple things, and I’m just asking that to be standard and be given to us on multiple things. Transparency, equitable – making sure that these things are fair – and also reporting back to us so we as a council can, come budget time, look to address these things,” said Alderman Shawn Gregory.
Gregory was opposed to renewing the contract, but he said he was able to draft a plan for transparency based on guidance from organizations like the ACLU.
The council negotiated changes with the police department during the meeting, and passed it with two members opposed to any stipulations.
In contrast, the Madison, Wisconsin, area recently ended their partnership with Flock over data privacy risks and outside access.
Article continues here.
Editorial note: CNET published an excellent article last month titled, “When Flock Surveillance Comes to Your Town: Everything to Know About These Cameras.”
Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Data Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, News Media, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions on July 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Courtesy Construction Review
By Joel Mairura | Construction Review
The proposed 185-acre data center in Hoffman Estates by Karis Critical has been cancelled as the firm bows out. The firm has withdrawn its request to rezone land for the controversial data center project in Illinois. Its scope entailed being constructed at the edge of the village of Hoffman Estates’ municipal boundaries. Moreover, it would have bordered the nearby areas of South Barrington and Barrington Hills.
However, it raised serious questions about how the neighboring towns, which have no official say in decision making, are impacted by such projects (?). “After several weeks of conversations with the Village and residents, we’ve decided the right step is to withdraw the current rezoning request,” Karis Critical spokesman Patrick Skarr said.
“We heard the feedback clearly, including the call for a more specific plan before any rezoning. We’ll take the time to get that right. Should we bring a proposal forward in the future, the Village and the community will have the details they need to evaluate it fully and on its merits.” Residents have always been against the project as shown by a recent public hearing where they showed up in numbers. Despite bowing out, other data centers across the US are still advancing such as “Project Marvel” in Bessemer which QTS has been identified as its developer.
The proposed 185-acre data center in Hoffman Estates by Karis Critical has been cancelled as the firm bows out. | Courtesy Construction Review
Factors Leading to Opposition of Proposed Data Center in Hoffman Estates
One of the major factors that led to opposition of the proposed data center in Hoffman Estate was transparency concerns. When the Plan Commission held its meeting, discussion was limited to the issue of rezoning the site from traditional neighborhood and commercial mixed-use districts to a manufacturing district. Moreover, residents were told there were no specific site plans for a data center project.
Other residents had concerns about the impacts of a large-scale data center on traffic, noise and light pollution and air quality. Hoffman Estates has two other data centers under construction. However, they are in areas already zoned for manufacturing that residents said are more appropriate than the residential area near forest preserves.
“Nobody here is saying, ‘Don’t do a data center,’ everyone’s saying, ‘Don’t do it here,’” Barrington Hills resident Karen Trzaska said. A public records request seeking communication from village stuff about the project also revealed much. It noted that the project had been in discussion as early as 18 months ago, raising more concerns on the project’s transparency.
Article continues here.
Posted in BACOG, Data Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Goat Rodeo, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Unions on July 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Per a Village of Hoffman Estates release:
“On June 30, 2026, H.E. Holdings, LLC, owner of the property at 4800 W. Higgins Road, (commonly known as “Plum Farms” and hereafter referred to as the ‘Subject Property’) notified the Village of Hoffman Estates in writing that it has withdrawn its application to rezone the three lots that comprise the Subject Property to the Village’s M-2 zoning district. As a result of this withdrawal, the existing zoning of the Subject Property will remain in place (Lot 1: TN, Lots 2 & 3: C-MU).
The withdrawn petition for rezoning will not be considered by the Village Board at the July 6, 2026, Village Board Meeting. Any application for zoning changes to the Subject Property by the current or future owners will require a new application. Future applications concerning the Subject Property will be required to start at the beginning of the zoning amendment process outlined in the Village Code.
The public hearing scheduled for July 6, 2026, to consider the termination of the annexation agreement governing the property at 4800 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates, has been canceled.”
Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Daily Herald, Data Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Unions on July 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »
By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald
The firm that owns the 186-acre Plum Farms property at Higgins Road and Route 59 in Hoffman Estates has withdrawn its request to rezone the site to manufacturing use that potentially would have enabled a data center there.
“We got word last night that it had been withdrawn,” Hoffman Estates Village Manager Eric Palm said Wednesday.
That immediately removed the decision from the agenda of Monday’s village board meeting, at which a large crowd of opponents from Hoffman Estates, Barrington Hills and South Barrington was expected.
Report continues here.
Related: “Barrington CUSD 220 opposes rezoning of Plum Farms,” “Proposed data center in Hoffman Estates sparks resident outrage,” “HOFFMAN ESTATES NOTICE OF (PLUM FARMS) PUBLIC HEARING JULY 6,” “‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center,” “Change.org Petition: ‘Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates’,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie shares an update on Hoffman Estates/Plum Farms Plan Commission meeting,” “Hoffman Estates plan commission rejects rezoning request for possible data center,” “Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project,” “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”
Posted in AI, Animal Welfare, BACOG, Chicago Tribune, Data Center, Deception, Education, EJ&E/Canadian National, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Sears, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions on June 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Construction underway at the new Compass Datacenters 197-acre site in Hoffman Estates on June 23, 2026. Compass is constructing five hyperscale data centers on the former Sears Headquarters campus. | Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune
By Jack O’Connor | Chicago Tribune
In lieu of statewide regulations, a growing number of Illinois cities and counties are telling data centers to come back later or adhere to new regulations.
In Aurora, what began as a 180-day moratorium ended with city officials bringing the regulatory hammer down on data centers after many community members complained about excessive noise, utility bills and environmental concerns stemming from the city’s existing facilities.
Nine months removed from the September moratorium, Aurora’s data centers are having to play by new rules. Restrictions on where facilities can be built and updates to zoning rules to give the city approval power over new developments. Strict noise emission, water efficiency and energy efficiency standards for new data centers. Mandatory annual reporting of energy use, water use, noise levels and the storage of biometric data for all data centers, including those already built.
“My administration is about putting people and planet first, so it’s making sure that the lights always get turned on for residents of Aurora, instead of seeing the power stripped away for data centers,” Aurora Mayor John Laesch said. “It’s good news that other municipalities and counties are taking action on this.”
So far, at least six counties and nine cities in Illinois have approved data center moratoriums or regulations. Since May, Bloomington, Normal, Effingham, Bourbonnais, Carbondale, Logan County and Lake County have implemented data center moratoriums ranging from a six-month ban to a whole year. McLean County took a stronger approach in June, requiring existing data centers to document their electrical consumption and mandating data center proposals to identify potential impacts on local infrastructure, emergency services and utilities.
Much of the blowback against data centers stems from concerns about the facilities’ energy and water use amid rising utility costs.
Without regulations in place, advocates and local officials worry data centers will strain the electrical grid and deplete Lake Michigan and rural well water faster than rain, runoff and groundwater can replenish them. Data centers already account for 5.4% of Illinois’ electrical consumption and that demand is expected to balloon by 133% by 2030, according to the U.S. arm of the International Energy Agency. At the same time, electric costs for ComEd customers in June have jumped 12%, while prices for Ameren customers downstate rose by nearly 30%, according to the Citizens Utility Board, a utility consumer watchdog group.
Report continues here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Building Department, Clown Car, Data Center, Dumb and Dumber, EJ&E/Canadian National, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, One Barrington Hills, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Plum Farm development, Police Reports, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Roads & Bridges Committee, Sears, Simple Minds, South Barrington, Taxes, The Land We Love Run, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Well Water Quality, Zoning Board on June 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.
*Ironically (and moronically), just six months ago President Cecola invited an unannounced guest to present their ideas on a 110-acre data center proposal adjacent to Pond Gate Farms that would have necessitated rezoning that acreage to Light Industrial in Barrington Hills at his December board meeting.
Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Data Center, Deception, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, News Media, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, Well Water Quality, WGN9 on June 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »
By: Dana Rebik, Ethan Illers | WGN9
A proposed data center in the northwest suburbs is drawing residents to protest Wednesday evening.
Plum Farms, which stretches across 185 acres of land near Route 59 and Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates, could soon be home to the village’s third data center. It’s a project proposed by the company Karis Critical.
The possibility of the data center being built has area residents frustrated.
“It is incredibly close. My neighbors and I, we can walk down a hilly berm from some of their back yards,” South Barrington resident Dr. Laura Holmes said. “The people here have some idea that they’re closing us in.”
At a commission meeting held on June 3, residents said they were not given information about the scope of the project, so they filed a freedom of information request and said what they found was alarming.
“We feel like we’ve been totally ignored. The public hearings we’ve had are like political theater. It’s just a formality. They’ve already made up their mind,” Barrington Hills resident Amanda Pollard said. “They had all these plans up to 18 months ago even prior to the sale of the property. We found a letter from the village manager who basically guaranteed we can re-zone.”
According to a letter from Village Manager Eric Palm to Karis Critical Attorney Matthew Norton, in January of 2025, Palm said the village recognizes the benefits data centers provide for the community, saying the village will support zoning approvals and that staff will recommend its approval.
Residents said seeing this makes them feel left in the dark.
“It’s been very surreptitious,” Holmes said.
Residents also found detailed site plans on a Karis document, showing a five-building, 300 megawatt data center, ten times larger than the one Karis tried to build in Naperville, which was voted down earlier this year.
Report and video can be found here.
Related: “HOFFMAN ESTATES NOTICE OF (PLUM FARMS) PUBLIC HEARING JULY 6,” “‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center,” “Change.org Petition: ‘Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates’,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie shares an update on Hoffman Estates/Plum Farms Plan Commission meeting,” “Hoffman Estates plan commission rejects rezoning request for possible data center,” “Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project,” “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”
Posted in AI, BACOG, Cook, County, Daily Herald, Data Center, Deception, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Mad Cows, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Sears, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions on June 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Residents of Hoffman Estates, Barrington Hills and South Barrington, including Christine Krzystofczyk of Hoffman Estates, protest the proposed rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property at the corner of routes 59 and 72, immediately west of The Arboretum in South Barrington Wednesday. | John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald
Residents of communities near the 186-acre Plum Farms property in Hoffman Estates Wednesday protested its proposed rezoning for industrial uses they consider a smoke screen for a data center.
Demonstrators from Hoffman Estates, Barrington Hills and South Barrington cited documents obtained through public records requests as evidence that inquiries about a plan for a data center at the northwest corner of routes 59 and 72 were shared with the village in early 2025
Hoffman Estates Deputy Village Manager Jon Pape confirmed landowner Karis Critical did submit such unsolicited concept plans last year. They were not reviewed by village staff as a formal development proposal would have been.
Doreen Gibrich, along with other residents of Hoffman Estates, Barrington Hills and South Barrington, protests the proposed rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property on the corner of routes 59 and 72 Wednesday. | John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Mayor Bill McLeod emphasized the request before the village board at its meeting of Monday, July 6 is for a rezoning of the property without a detailed plan attached.
“A concept plan isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on,” McLeod said. “Formal plans are very involved. What’s on the table is rezoning.”
The village’s plan commission recommended against granting that request by a 4-2 vote on June 3. The village presidents of Barrington Hills and South Barrington have lent their voices to the opposition.
Article continues here.
Related: “HOFFMAN ESTATES NOTICE OF (PLUM FARMS) PUBLIC HEARING JULY 6,” “‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center,” “Change.org Petition: ‘Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates’,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie shares an update on Hoffman Estates/Plum Farms Plan Commission meeting,” “Hoffman Estates plan commission rejects rezoning request for possible data center,” “Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project,” “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”
Posted in AI, Cook, County, Daily Herald, Data Center, EJ&E/Canadian National, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Plum Farm development, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Unions, Village Government on June 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »
(Click on image to enlarge)
Notice is hereby given that the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, will hold a Public Hearing pursuant to 65 ILCS 5/11-15.1-3 of the Illinois Municipal Code to consider an Annexation Agreement Amendment by and between the Village of Hoffman Estates and H.E. Holdings, LLC (Owner) related to the property located on the north side of Higgins Road between Canadian National Railway on the west and Illinois Route 59 on the east, consisting of approximately 145 acres. P.I.Ns: Lot 1 (01-28-301-004, 01-33-100-003, 01-33-100-004)
The hearing will be held on Monday, July 6, 2026, at 6:55 p.m. in the Hoffman Estates Municipal Building, 1900 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates, IL.
The proposed Annexation Agreement Amendment would be an agreement that would terminate the Annexation Agreement dated May 1, 2017, and recorded in Cook County, Illinois, as document number 1712813016.
William D. McLeod
Village President
Board of Trustees
Published in Daily Herald June 18, 2026
Related: “‘Wrong project, wrong place’: Critics push back on rezoning plan for potential Hoffman Estates data center,” “Change.org Petition: ‘Deny Rezoning of Plum Farms In Hoffman Estates’,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie shares an update on Hoffman Estates/Plum Farms Plan Commission meeting,” “Hoffman Estates plan commission rejects rezoning request for possible data center,” “Hoffman Estates Plan Commission rejects zoning change for new data center project,” “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”
 | joefargo3767 on Progressive Policies Have Left… |
 | Ding will stay unles… on CUSD 220 Board delivers second… |
| joefargo3767 on Illinois allows lawmaker confl… |
 | l. M. Headof on Former Barrington High student… |
| Joe Fargo on Illinois loses young people at… |
| Joe Fargo on DOJ announces more than 175 ch… |
 | Keegan on CUSD 220 Board delivers second… |