Lisle Considers Move That Would 'Effectively Prohibit Data Centers' In Village

LISLE, IL — Lisle is proposing an ordinance amendment that would "effectively prohibit" data centers within the village, according to board meeting documents.

The move comes after public outcry when a data center proposed to open at 711 Ogden Ave. A January public hearing fo for the proposal for the 256,000 square foot data center brought hundreds of residents out to show their opposition. The overflow led to the meeting being canceled.

The data center's developer, Cloud Centers, LLC, ultimately withdrew their application.

At the May 20 planning and zoning meeting, board members will consider amending part of a zoning ordinance that will exclude data centers from I-1 zoning districts in Lisle.

According to village documents, the current zoning rules went into effect at the start of 2022 amid a comprehensive amendment of zoning regulations.

Village documents state, "The 2022 inclusion of specific data center language was added to address potential ambiguity in emerging technology and land use trends while also acknowledging an existing data center that has operated in the Village's I-1 zoning district for approximately 25 years."

If the village votes to exclude data centers from this zoning district, "it would effectively [prohibit] new locations in the Village without approval of a text amendment to the zoning code."

Lisle is among several suburban municipalities that have seen resistance to proposed data centers in the past year. In January, the Naperville City Council voted against a data center proposal.

In April, Plainfield unanimously approved a moratorium on data centers.

Residents are also currently pushing back against a data center proposal in Blue Island.

Lisle's planning and zoning commission will meet May 20 a 7 p.m. to discuss the proposed amendment.