June 9, 2026
Lake County Initiates Public Hearing on Temporary Moratorium for Data Centers in Unincorporated Areas
As interest in data center development continues to grow nationwide, the Lake County Board today approved a resolution to initiate a public hearing on a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Lake County.
The resolution directs the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals to conduct a public hearing on proposed text amendments to the Lake County Code of Ordinances to establish a temporary moratorium of up to eight months on data centers in unincorporated Lake County.
Currently, data centers are not specifically defined or regulated under the Lake County Code. The proposed amendments under consideration relate solely to establishing a temporary moratorium to allow time for the County to evaluate this emerging land use topic, review best practices and assess potential infrastructure and environmental considerations.
In addition, at its meeting last week, the Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment (PBZ&E) Committee authorized a temporary administrative deferral that allows the Lake County Planning, Building and Development department to pause review of data center applications while the zoning text amendment process on the temporary moratorium is underway, for a period not to exceed 120 days.
“With any emerging land use issue, it is important that Lake County takes the time needed to research, study and fully understand the potential impacts before making decisions on appropriate regulations,” said Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair. “A temporary moratorium will provide time to evaluate this matter and engage the public through a formal and transparent process.”
“Data centers raise important questions related to water and energy use, infrastructure demand and long-term planning,” said Marah Altenberg, Chair of the Lake County PBZ&E Committee. “It is critical that the County takes the time to carefully evaluate these considerations prior to drafting standards and restrictions around this evolving land use. A temporary moratorium would help us do that.”
The public hearing on the temporary moratorium will be scheduled for later this summer. Lake County will follow the statutorily required process for notifying residents of the public hearing.
The proposed temporary moratorium under consideration applies to unincorporated Lake County only.
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