Aurora is putting the brakes on data center and warehouse developments, at least for now.
The city council voted 10-1 last week to approve a temporary moratorium on such projects, intended to buy time to draft stricter development guidelines in the Chicago suburb that is Illinois’ second-largest city, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The pause will last 180 days and could be extended a month beyond that. It halts the acceptance or approval of applications for data centers or warehouses, as well as expansions of existing facilities. Exceptions include projects already filed, routine repairs and emergency government facilities. Developers with time-sensitive projects can apply for conditional processing but will need to comply with any future code changes.
Mayor John Laesch stressed that the city isn’t anti–data center but needs guardrails to address community concerns. Residents near CyrusOne’s facility on Aurora’s East Side, at 2905 Diehl Road, have complained of “unlivable” noise from backup generators, while officials also flagged environmental risks tied to water consumption, diesel emissions and greenhouse gases. Laesch said he has fielded calls from labor groups and potential operators, assuring them that the goal is balance, not banishment.
Aurora currently has five data center projects seeking approval, Chief Development Services Officer John Curley said. Staff will present an update in 90 days and aim to deliver draft code changes before the six-month window closes.
The lone “no” vote, Alderman Carl Franco, argued the council lacked information to justify the sweeping pause and warned against discouraging investment. Proponents countered that Aurora’s code lumps data centers in with warehouses, leaving the city without standards to mitigate impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
The moratorium follows months of tension over CyrusOne’s site, where residents pressed the company and the city for relief from noise pollution. While temporary fixes have helped, residents remain wary of long-term impacts. Environmental advocates, including local Sierra Club chair Mavis Bates, applauded the move, calling it a chance for Aurora to set the bar for “sustainable data center hosting.”
Aurora isn’t alone in rethinking its approach. Municipalities across the country are grappling with how to regulate data centers and logistics hubs that promise tax revenue but come with noise, traffic and heavy utility demands.
— Eric Weilbacher
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