Last Thursday night, the DeWitt County Board voted not to pursue crafting ordinances for data centers in DeWitt County. 

DeWitt County Board Chair Joe Witte says the unanimous vote against sending the issue to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) was simply a signal that now is not the right time to move forward.

Under current regulations, a text amendment or a new zoning ordinance can be initiated in one of three ways: by the County Board, by an individual landowner submitting an application and fee, or by the regional planning commission. Witte stresses Thursday's vote strictly represented the Board’s position that it would not initiate the process itself. 

According to Witte, the County must tread carefully to differentiate between massive hyperscale data centers and the small-scale data setups already used by local businesses and county offices.

There is also a belief that the State of Illinois, like with wind and solar, could impose its own regulations on local governments for data centers. While not in place yet, Witte points out the conversation is not over in DeWitt County.