The Naperville City Council received an earful from residents on a proposed data center at the site of the former Nokia, or Alcatel-Lucent, building along the I-88 corridor within Naperville at the elected body’s final meeting of the year.
The chorus of concerns come against the backdrop of a petition that reportedly has garnered more than 4,000 signatures in opposition to the proposal.
Karis Critical Data Center’s request for a necessary conditional-use permit on a 40.87-acre parcel, located at 1960 Lucent Lane, was not on the council’s Tuesday, Dec. 16, agenda. Residents used the public forum portion of the meeting to weigh in on the matter.
Health, noise, property values, environmental impact among concerns
Within the confines of the council meeting, 15 residents stepped up to the microphone and shared with the council the reasons behind their opposition for the data center.
Many of the concerns — including potential health impacts, noise, potential property value declines, and environmental impact — were shared at multiple Planning and Zoning Commission meetings this fall as that appointed group reviewed the proposal.
Naperville resident Rich Janor said the opposition within the community has been growing since Karis first brought its proposal before city officials in early September.
“Opposition now cuts across political lines,” said Janor, who also sits on the Naperville Park Board. “Democrats tend to oppose, based on environmental impact and resource consumption, whereas Republicans tend to raise red flags about public safety and strain on the energy grid.”
Throughout the debate this fall, local medical experts have been speaking out about the data center and its close proximity to neighboring residential areas, arguing the scenario could cause adverse health impacts from the diesel exhaust generated at the site.
Dr. Sujay Shah, a Naperville resident and board-certified oncologist, said the 24 diesel-powered generators proposed at the site bring “a foreseeable health risk that should not be placed next to homes, parks, and where children live and play.”
“Data centers are important, but that doesn’t mean that they belong anywhere,” Shah said. “This is not a small and boutique facility. It’s a heavy industrial operation.”
Several speakers, including Naperville resident Clara Lambert, pointed to a growing trend within the state — as well as nationally and even globally — that has prompted a re-evaluation of where data centers should be placed within communities.
“Placing a 36-megawatt industrial data center near neighborhoods is a mistake that cannot be undone,” Lambert said. “Many other communities are now scrambling to correct decisions their leaders made too quickly. You have an opportunity to lead differently, to learn from others, and to put your residents first.”
In addition to the 15 verbal comments, the council received four written comments about the proposal. None of the verbal comments were supportive of Karis’ plans for the site; one written comment was favorable to the plans outlined.
“The Illinois Technology and Research Corridor represents a significant opportunity for our region’s economic growth and innovation,” Wheaton resident Steve Mieland wrote to the council in explaining his support for Karis’ plans. “Attracting and retaining businesses in the technology sector is crucial for job creation, increased tax revenue, and overall prosperity.”
Council could review, take action on proposal early in new year
While it is not yet set in stone, City Attorney Michael DiSanto said the city council could begin deliberating and potentially take action on the data center proposal at a Tuesday, Jan. 20, meeting.
“We are working on all of the required ordinances and documents, trying to finalize them,” DiSanto said in explaining what is taking place, behind the scenes, within city hall. “They are rather complex.”
The Jan. 20 meeting date is the target, DiSanto indicated, but added, “It’s premature to say whether it will be on the agenda.”
The council’s full agenda for the Jan. 20 meeting will be published six days prior, on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
“We hope to know sooner than that, but that would be the latest we would know,” DiSanto said.
Council members begin weighing in on the proposal
During public forum, several members of the city council weighed in on Karis’ plans for the site. Most withheld giving a position at this point, indicating they are waiting to gather all of the necessary information.
Councilman Ian Holzhauer discussed the site of the data center proposal and how it ties into the city’s master plan, which is one of four standards attached to the conditional-use permit. He also noted the city’s allocation of funding in 2026 for a study of the I-88 corridor within Naperville.
“To be very clear, the adopted comprehensive master plan envisions medium-density residential eventually being used for this space,” Holzhauer said. “That’s not hard to understand, because if you zoom out and look at the area, it’s surrounded by either parks, neighborhoods, a spiritual center, or a sensory garden. There are ways that people have tried to argue around this standard, but I’m a lawyer by trade, and I just don’t think that they meet the standard.”
Other council members, including Councilman Benjamin White, praised speakers for taking the time to share feedback on the proposal.
“I, personally, just love how we actually see our processes and our system here, in our community,” White said. “It shows that we have involved residents that have passion, and they’re concerned about what’s going on, so I just wanted to pass that appreciation off to you all.”
Karis representatives defend criticisms at prior meetings
A Karis representative was not present at the Dec. 16 council meeting to share the company’s stance on the proposal. But representatives were on hand at the multiple Planning and Zoning Commission meetings this fall, prior to the eventual favorable recommendation last month.
Russell Whitaker III, a partner with the Naperville-based law firm of Rosanova and Whitaker, has been providing Karis with land use counsel. Last month, Whitaker responded to the litany of questions, concerns, and criticisms residents shared.
Whitaker has stated that Karis would be a positive, productive part of Naperville’s tax base, contributing an estimated $1.6 million to $2.2 million annually in revenue to the city.
He also asserted the Karis development is expected to bring between 82 to 170 jobs to Naperville’s economy, if the data center proposal were to come to fruition.
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