South Elgin rejects concept plan for data center

After being formally presented Monday with White Rose Partners’ concept plan for a data center on Kenyon Road, the South Elgin Village Board immediately rejected the company’s request to annex the site into the village.

A resolution announcing “the village’s intention to deny the annexation for purposes of a data center use” was unanimously approved.

Jeff Eigenbrood, managing partner for the Dallas-based company, had no comment after the vote, which also shot down a special use permit for the 200,000-square-foot data center to be built on the 20 acres at Kenyon Road and Route 25. The land is owned by the Kenyon Brothers Co. and was being sold to White Rose.

Richard Williams, a Geneva attorney representing the company, said, “We’re evaluating our options. We’ll go from there.”

When asked if the company might file a lawsuit against the village, Williams said, “All options are on the table.”

Speaking on White Rose’s behalf at the presentation, Williams acknowledged the board’s opposition, calling it was “profoundly disappointing” that trustees had already decided not to support the plan before even being told the details.

White Rose officials had worked with the village on the presentation, he said, and made changes recommended by staff with the “reasonable expectation once the work was completed, (the company) would at least get a fair opportunity to present the project and have it evaluated on its actual merits.”

“Instead, the project appears to already have been tried in the court of public opinion before the evidence has been presented,” he said.

During the company’s presentation, Alejandro Fuentes, White Rose’s senior development manager, said data centers are critical for the infrastructure and safety of the country.

Of this particular project, 60% of the site would consist of green space and the center was expected to generate between $7.8 million and $28 million in new tax revenue for the village, he said.

Acknowledging the most common concerns raised about data centers, including water use, electrical usage and noise, Fuentes said the proposed center — named Project Kilo — would use about as much water as two single-family homes in South Elgin. A closed-loop system to recycle the water means it would only have to be filled once, he said.

The center’s electrical usage would not require a new substation, and ComEd has confirmed there is enough capacity to support the center, Fuentes said.

White Rose would pay for any upgrades, which would “further strengthen the grid for everyone,” he said.

A study done on behalf of the company showed the noise levels would be between 30 to 35 decibels — “equivalent to a little over a whisper,” Fuentes said.

About 150 people attended the Monday meeting, with some holding signs with messages like, “NO BLANK CHECKS 4 BIG TECH.”

One resident urged the board not to reject the proposal outright but rather to create standards for data centers before taking a vote — an opinion that elicited boos from the crowd.

Prairie Pointe subdivision resident Anthony Saccomanno said a petition he started in opposition to the center had been signed by more than 9,475 people and gave elected officials a good idea of what residents thought of the idea.

“That is South Elgin residents telling you no,” he said. “I’m not against data centers. I’m not against technology. I’m against this one in this location beside our homes, our kids and open space.”

If it were to be approved, said another resident, who identified himself only as Bill, “there is no way to unring this bell. This is the opportunity we have to stop what will be a negative thing for us here in South Elgin. … I implore you to make the right decision so we don’t regret it later.”

While some residents said White Rose didn’t provide enough details about the proposal, village officials said they’d only get into more specifics if the board wanted to move ahead with it. Trustees were clear that they did not.

“I will say I’m a no. I’m one vote. But I’m (just) one vote,” Trustee Jennifer Barconi said. “But thank you for coming.”

Trustee Mike Kolodziej was more blunt.

“For you to come here to say you are profoundly disappointed, well, I’m pleased you are profoundly disappointed,” Kolodziej said. “These are my neighbors, my friends, my constituents. To support this would be an insult to them. I’m a hard no and you’re not going to change my mind.”

Village President Steve Ward agreed.

“If I had to break a tie, I would be a no,” he said. “This is just not the right location. We do appreciate you coming in.”

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News.