Opponents cite documents as proof Hoffman Estates plans data center on Plum Farms site

A request to the Illinois Attorney General for a review of alleged Open Meetings Act violations is among the artillery being used by opponents of a potential rezoning of 186 acres in Hoffman Estates for a possible data center.

Barrington Hills resident Amanda Pollard filed the request Monday, asking that any finding of a violation be used to challenge the village board’s possible rezoning of the northwest corner of Higgins Road and Route 72 to manufacturing use at Monday’s board meeting.

She cited documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act as proof plans for a data center are more specific than the landowner or village officials have said aloud.

Pollard was particularly suspicious of requests for meetings with trustees or the mayor in correspondence between landowner Karis Critical and village staff.

Village Manager Eric Palm said the documents don’t chronicle potential Open Meetings Act violations and Mayor Bill McLeod said none have occurred.

“No, we don’t do that,” McLeod added. “That doesn’t happen.”

At the June 3 plan commission meeting, attorney Matt Norton representing Karis characterized the rezoning request as simply a way to boost the Plum Farms site’s marketing potential for various industrial uses.

But a May 19 email from Hoffman Estates Director of Development Services Jennifer Horn to Karis officials speaks of a less generalized goal.

“The village’s legal team is currently drafting two agreements for your review: a termination agreement and a development agreement that would restrict uses of the property to data centers,” Horn wrote.

Earlier this month, the village’s plan commission voted 4-2 against the rezoning proposal, though no would acknowledged the plan was to ultimately build a data center at the site.

Both Palm and McLeod described staff’s role on land development issues as fundamentally different from the village board’s.

“The village, I think, has been transparent about what could go there long-term,” Palm said. “For any type of real estate project, that begins with the village staff. Village staff proposes things and processes them.”

But whether anything actually changes is entirely up to the board, McLeod said.

“Staff doesn’t decide anything,” he added. “They can talk to anyone. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Another email Pollard obtained is from Sameer Paila, senior investments associate for Virginia-based QTS Data Centers, that was sent to village staff two months ago. In it, Paila writes of being under a compressed 60-day timeline and that a decision had been made for Karis to lead an initial rezoning effort.

Village correspondence with Karis stretches back to early 2025 when Palm wrote to Norton of the board’s prior support of two data center developments on the day before the firm closed on its purchase of Plum Farms.

Pollard sees in the documents an effort to avoid community input on a specific course of action.

“To me, what’s the point of having public hearings if they’re going to have these discussions and do what they want anyway?” Pollard said. “Frankly, I think it’s immoral to change (zoning) from traditional neighborhood to M2.”

Village leaders in neighboring towns like South Barrington and Barrington Hills also expressed concerns about zoning changes for the property.

Palm defended the public hearing process’ role in elevating critics’ voices.

“I would argue to them, if you’re concerned about the process, it worked,” he said. “Our definition of plans and their definition of plans are just different. This application is just for rezoning.”

The board meeting is slated for 7 p.m. at village hall, 1900 Hassell Road