Title
Ordinance amending Chapter 151: Unified Development Ordinance of the Lake County, Illinois, Code of Ordinances relating to defining and imposing a temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Lake County.
Staff Summary
• Following a recommendation by the Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment (PBZ&E) Committee, the Lake County Board directed the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to conduct a public hearing to consider proposed text amendments to define and impose a temporary moratorium on data centers.
• At the conclusion of the public hearing held on August 18, 2026, the ZBA unanimously recommended approval of the proposed amendments as presented in ZBA Resolution “Exhibit A”, attached.
• The recommended amendments have been formatted into a document ready for codification as reflected in “Exhibit B,” and the Ordinance will become effective upon County Board adoption of “Exhibit B”.
Body
ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, the Lake County Board adopted the Unified Development Ordinance of Lake County, Illinois, on April 11, 2000; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Board incorporated the Lake County Unified Development Ordinance into the Lake County, Illinois, Code of Ordinances as Chapter 151 of the Lake County, Illinois, Code of Ordinances on February 10, 2015; and
WHEREAS, the regulations specified in Chapter 151 of the Lake County, Illinois, Code of Ordinances requires periodic review to maintain relevancy and address changing conditions; and
WHEREAS, the Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee was of the opinion that necessary steps should be taken by the Lake County Board to initiate the public hearing process to facilitate public engagement and evaluation of proposed amendments to define and impose a temporary moratorium on data centers; and
WHEREAS, on June 9, 2026, the Lake County Board directed the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals to conduct a public hearing upon staff’s completion of draft amendments; and
WHEREAS, the Planning, Building and Development Department prepared draft amendments to the text of the Lake County Code of Ordinances related to a data center moratorium in unincorporated Lake County; and
WHEREAS, state law requires a public hearing to amend the text of the Lake County Code of Ordinances; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals conducted a public hearing on the proposed amendments on August 18, 2026, pursuant to the Statutes of the State of Illinois on the petition of the County of Lake, which seeks to amend the text of Chapter 151 of the Lake County, Illinois Code of Ordinances; and
WHEREAS, your Zoning Board of Appeals, after reviewing the testimony presented at the public hearing on the aforesaid petition, has submitted its report thereon to the County Board and recommends that the proposed text amendments specified as “Exhibit A” be approved; and
WHEREAS, your Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee duly considered the proposed text amendments aforedescribed and recommends that the text amendments as specified in “Exhibit A” be approved.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that the amendments to Chapter 151 of the Lake County, Illinois, Code of Ordinances as attached in “Exhibit B” be adopted and made effective immediately; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that the Clerk of the County Board shall keep a record of this action.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on September 8, 2026.