LINCOLN, Ill. (WAND) - The Logan County Zoning and Economic Development Board will have a special meeting Thursday to discuss the data center ordinance. 

The board approved the ordinance Monday night.

Zoning committee Chair Dale Nelson told WAND News the ordinance does two things. It creates a set of regulations that apply to any future data centers that would be approved after the 12-month moratorium that was approved last month expires and simplifies the process that data centers would have to use to get approval. Formal re-zoning would no longer be required. It would be a form/permit system instead.

Nelson said the regulations in the ordinance would include restrictions on things like noise, water, and environmental concerns. He said it would also require an impact study prior to any project's approval.

Nelson said the five-person committee voted three in favor of the ordinance, and the other two members were absent.

The board's next meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m.

A motion to approve the data center ordinance was made with the following additions:

1. An impact study must be completed prior to the approval of the Conditional Use Permit.

2. The impact study must address Noise, Lighting, Water Usage, and other environmental concerns based on location of the data center.

3. The County Board will retain the sole authority to select the vendor or vendors to complete the study, with the total cost of the study being paid by the developer submitting the application.

4. ZBA recommendation #1: Accepted by the committee, Logan County Health Department will be notified of any wastewater discharge test results on a yearly basis.

5. ZBA recommendation #2: Accepted by the committee, the term “County noise standards” changed to Noise standards will meet all governing requirements as stated by the Illinois EPA.

6. ZBA recommendation #3: Not accepted by the committee with the following changes, A 500’ setback from nonparticipating property will be removed and will be determine by the County Board during the Conditional use Permit approval process based and location of the project.

7. ZBA recommendation #4: Accepted by the committee, Section III (H) “Owner” should be defined as “A Person or Entity”.

8. ZBA recommendation #5: Accepted by the committee, Protection of the tile drainage (similar to windfarm ordinance sections IV B(6) ii, (10), (12), (13) be add to the data center ordinance.

9. ZBA recommendation #6: Not accepted by the committee with the following changes, Center Decommissioning Plan will be developed into a separate Amendment

Hut 8 has said a moratorium could kill the deal completely. Some board members said without this deal, taxpayers could face a heavier financial burden.
 
"We're just going to have a party board is going to have to make hard decisions, and we're going to have to raise your taxes because we can't really do the same thing or the same amount of money," Board Member Gil Turner said. 
 
For many residents, that was a risk they were willing to take.
 
"I'd rather that my property taxes go up a little bit than my and go to my community and go to. And I know that my money is going to the place I live and I love. Then my electricity bill gets jacked and it goes to Ameren. I don't want Ameren to have more of my money," one resident said. 

Hut 8 has not confirmed if the data center proposal is officially off the table with the moratorium now in place. 

This story has been updated to correct Dale Nelson's title and reflect the next steps for the ordinance. 

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