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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/23/2025 P&Z Minutes (PZ-21-25) / 1200 E. Algonquin Road, 1200 Dempster St / Final Plat of Subdivision and CU: Major PUD AmendmentMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION CASE NO. PZ-21-25 PROPERTY ADDRESS: PETITIONER: PUBLICATION DATE: REQUEST: MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: INTERESTED PARTIES: Hearing Date: October 23, 2025 1200 E. Algonquin Road, 1200 Dempster Street TU R Ventures LLC October 8, 2025 Conditional use to amend a final planned unit development as a major change, Final Plat of Subdivision Joseph Donnelly Ewa Weir Wa lte r Szym cza k Donald Olsen Michael Fricano Richard Rogers William Beattie Antonia Lalagos — Development Planner Ann Choi — Development Planner Jason Shallcross — Director of Community & Economic Development Matthew Norton, Attorney, Burke, Warren, MacKay& Serritella; Brett Burnette, Development Manager, Cloud HQ LLC; Don Dixon, Gewalt Hamilton Associates Chairman Donnelly called the meeting to order at7:03 PM. Commissioner Szymczak made a motion seconded by Commissioner Olsen to approve the minutes from the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on August 14, 2025. The minutes were approved 4-0. After suspending the first item of business and hearing the second item of new business, Chairman Donnelly introduced case number PZ-21-25, 1200 E. Algonquin Road and 1200 Dempster Street, a request for conditional use approval to amend an existing planned unit development (PUD) as a major change and a final plat of subdivision for the subject property. Ms. Choi gave a detailed overview of the final PUD that was previously approved in 2022 and the changes that were proposed in the 2025 amended proposal. Ms. Choi explained that the petitioner, TUR Ventures LLC, received conditional use approval for a final planned unit development and final plat of subdivision approval on June 21, 2022 to construct three (3) data centers and an electrical Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — October 23, 2025 PZ-21-25 substation. Ms. Choi stated that the petitioner proposes an amendment to the approved PUD for the construction of a two -building data center campus, a second electrical substation, a mechanical yard, a satellite antenna yard, and related site modifications the subject property. Ms. Choi noted that the proposal requires Village Board approval for the final plat and conditional use approval for the final PUD as a major change. Ms. Choi stated that the proposal meets the requirements and standards related to the Village Code, and staff supports the requests. Ms. Choi concluded that staff finds that the proposal meets the applicable standards contained in the Mount Prospect Zoning Ordinance. She requested that the Planning and Zoning Commission make a motion to adopt staff's findings as the findings of the Planning and Zoning Commission and recommend approval of the following motion: 1. A final plat of subdivision titled "PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT MOUNT PROSPECT TECHNOLOGY CAMPUPS NO. 2", including the plats of dedication conveying land to IDOT and CCDTH, subject to the conditions listed in the staff report; and 2. A conditional use to amend the planned unit development as a major change, pursuant to Section 14.504(E)(1) of the Village Code, to construct a two -building data center campus consisting of a total combined gross floor area of approximately 2,172,000 square feet, including three hundred sixty-five (365) parking spaces, two (2) electrical substations, mechanical yard, satellite antenna yard, and related site improvements, as identified on the petitioner's plans, subject to the conditions listed in the staff report. Ms. Choi stated that the Village Board's decision is final for the case. Commissioner Weir asked if there was a change in lot coverage between the previously approved PUD and the proposal. Ms. Choi responded that the lot coverage for the previously approved PUD was 68% and the 2025 amended plans propose 82%. Commissioner Weir asked if there were any requirements, such as for lighting, due to the proximity to O'Hare Airport. Ms. Choi was not aware of any requirements related to the proposal, and Chairman Donnelly deferred this question to the petitioner. Commissioner Weir asked if staff reviewed or addressed any lighting that was required on the building or around the building. Ms. Choi explained that a photometric plan was reviewed and there were areas identified that exceeded what code allows, but that a fully compliant photometric plan would be required at time of building permit. Commissioner Weir asked if the generators would be for emergency use only or if they would be constantly active. Ms. Choi responded that these would be operational for emergency use only and that the number of generators that would run for testing purposes is still being discussed. Commissioner Weir asked if the project would be going to the state EPA for review. Director Shallcross responded the project requires EPA permitting since it is an air -emitting project. Director Shallcross responded that the project has already received stormwater IEPA permit approval, and they have not yet received the air emission permit from the IEPA which would occur during the building permit process. Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — October 23, 2025 PZ-21-25 Commissioner Weir asked if the type offence was defined for the solid substation fence and would the fence fully screen the substation equipment. Ms. Choi responded that staff did not have the final design of the substation fence but that it would be a fully opaque, solid wall and that staff would require a form -liner treatment subject to the approval of the community development director at time of building permit. Ms. Choi explained that the majority of the substation equipment in the first substation ranges from 30 feet and higher, and that the substation wall would screen about half the height of the equipment. Commissioner Weir asked if the proposed noise levels were reduced from the prior PUD. Ms. Choi stated that some of the noise levels were slightly higher than the previous proposal but that all noise levels were meeting the noise limitations of the Village's code. Commissioner Weir asked if the landscaping relief requests were needed. Ms. Choi stated that the proposed landscaping does not comply with the strict standards of the perimeter and foundation landscaping requirements, lot coverage, and for open space. Commissioner Weir inquired about the type of screening proposed around the mechanical yard. Ms. Choi explained that a 55-foot-tall acoustical louver screen wall is proposed and suggested reviewing the elevations or wall section for additional detail. Commissioner Weir asked if there was a reason for the overall height of the building to be approximately ten stories. Ms. Choi deferred to the petitioner but added that the data center buildings are three stories, and the type of equipment required for data centers would necessitate the height. Chairman Donnelly asked if the property would be one lot of record since there was one building on two lots. Ms. Choi responded that the property would be subdivided into seven lots. Director Shallcross stated it is possible to have a PUD govern multiple zoning lots. Chairman Donnelly stated that the lot coverage was proposed at 82% and asked how the development would deal with the stormwater. Director Shallcross stated that the petitioner has redesigned the stormwater basins on -site to accommodate the increase in lot coverage. Chairman Donnelly asked for clarification on the generator use. Chairman Donnelly asked if the generators would be operating as needed for emergency purposes only or if they would be operational 24/7. Director Shallcross responded that the generators would be working for 80 hours out of the year, for regular testing and maintenance purposes. Director Shallcross stated that the petitioner and staff are working on what circumstances which generators can operate while still meeting the noise emissions requirements. Director Shallcross explained that the project would be conditioned to require that the project sit on a temporary TCO for 90 days and over the 90-day period, the petitioner would be authorized to operate the site in accordance with the PUD. During this period, third -party consultants would analyze the actual output of emissions and verify that the real world emissions meet code. Chairman Donnelly noted that in some cases data centers have relied on generators as their primary power source when substations were not yet operational and asked if the Village could encounter a similar situation. Director Shallcross responded that Substation #1 will be operational Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — October 23, 2025 PZ-21-25 within the next month and that the PUD amendment includes a switchgear yard to provide power beneath Lin neman Road to fully serve ORD1, the larger building along Algonquin Road. He further explained that ORD2 will have its own dedicated Substation #2, which must be completed before that facility becomes operational. Chairman Donnelly asked whether the screening for the second substation would be similar to that of Substation #1. Director Shallcross explained that Substation #1 is existing and that valuable Lessons were learned during its construction. The initial design relied heavily on landscaping for screening, but subsequent ComEd design revisions reduced available planting areas. For Substation #2, staff therefore required a fully screened wall to ensure the facility is not visible. Chairman Donnelly asked whether Substation #1 would receive a similar solid wall. Director Shallcross stated it would not, noting that it has a decorative fence with barbed wire and substantial landscaping along Dempster Street, but limited landscaping along Linneman Road. Chairman Donnelly then asked about the treatment along the south and east sides of Substation #2. Director Shallcross responded that those sides face inward toward the site and will not be visible from public rights -of -way, so solid or opaque screening was not required. Chairman Donnelly inquired how stormwater would be managed for the second substation site, noting that the area currently absorbs water but would not do so after development. Director Shallcross explained that the site is included within the overall engineered stormwater management system, which will be reviewed and approved in coordination with the MWRD during the permitting process. Director Shallcross added that no relief is being requested for stormwater management, as all runoff associated with the increased lot coverage will be accommodated within the project's stormwater design. Commissioner Weir asked about the condition requiring the petitioner to submit testing data, including how frequently such reports would be submitted and what process would follow if the project was found to be out of conformance. Director Shallcross responded that it is the petitioner's responsibility to demonstrate full compliance with all Village emission requirements within the90-day operational period. Director Shallcross explained that if the project fails to meet those requirements, the petitioner would remain on a temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) and would not be granted a full occupancy permit until the issues are resolved. The petitioner would be required to submit a detailed corrective plan outlining how compliance would be achieved. If compliance cannot be demonstrated, a full occupancy permit would not be issued. Director Shallcross added that the petitioner's consultants have modeled the emissions to a highly detailed level, and staff is confident the project will meet the required standards; however, final confirmation cannot occur until testing data from the constructed facility is available. Commissioner Weir asked what operational impact there would be if the facility were operating under a TCO rather than a full or final Certificate of Occupancy (FCO). Director Shallcross explained that the intent is for the petitioner to operate under the TCO as they would long-term, so that performance data accurately reflects typical daily operations. Director Shallcross explained that in practice, there should be no difference in day-to-day operations between temporary and full occupancy. Director Shallcross added that the Village has various enforcement mechanisms, including the ability to revoke or allow a TCO to expire, providing multiple layers of oversight for a project under temporary occupancy. Commissioner Weir then asked whether a time limit applies Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — October 23, 2025 PZ-21-25 to the TCO. Director Shallcross stated that the ordinance allows a 90-day period for the petitioner to demonstrate compliance with all applicable code requirements. Chairman Donnelly invited the petitioners to the stand. Chairman Donnelly swore in the petitioners as a group. The first speaker was Brett Burnette, Director of Development for Cloud HQ, 3855 Inverness Road, Fairfax, VA. Mr. Burnette stated that the data center industry has evolved significantly in beneficial ways and provided background on CloudHQ, noting that the company develops hyperscale data facilities and, since 2017, has constructed and leased over 5 million square feet of data center space with more than 800 megawatts of capacity. Mr. Burnette added that three data center facilities were developed between 2007 and 2017 in Elk Grove Village and expressed enthusiasm about returning to the Chicagoland area, which he noted is the third -largest data center market in the United States. Mr. Burnette concluded by thanking staff and the Commission for the opportunity to present and indicated that the full consultant team was available to answer any questions. Chairman Donnelly asked whether the Commission could review a list of the variations or conditions of approval. Director Shallcross explained that this information is included as an appendix to the staff report but noted that, as a PUD, approval functions as a singular request rather than individual variations for each subsection of the code that does not conform. Chairman Donnelly acknowledged that no relief was requested for stormwater management but inquired whether relief was granted for landscaping. Director Shallcross responded that there may be minor nonconformities with the strict provisions of the code and clarified that lighting will be required to meet all code standards at the time of permit issuance. Commissioner Weir asked for clarification on the potential noise and emissions generated by the diesel generators and how frequently they would operate. Mr. Burnette explained that the generators would serve as backup power only, with primary power supplied from the grid through Substation #1, nearing completion, and future Substation #2 currently under ComEd's review. Mr. Burnette stated that the generators would operate approximately 5-8 hours per year for maintenance testing, staggered so only a few run at a time, and during power outages when grid service is unavailable. Mr. Burnette stated that ComEd and PJM are experienced in managing regional power demands associated with data centers and ensuring grid reliability. Regarding noise, Mr. Burnette noted that overall sound levels are comparable to those that were approved four years ago due to added spacing and enhanced attenuation measures. From an emissions standpoint, the project will be governed by state and federal EPA low -emission permits, which cap annual operating hours since the generators are intended solely for backup use. Commissioner Weir asked whether the limit applies per day or per year. Mr. Burnette responded that the permit allows approximately 100 hours per year. When asked about daily limits or evening restrictions, Mr. Burnette stated that testing is limited to 7:00 a.m. — 7:00 p.m. Commissioner Weir asked what types of sound attenuation were put in place. Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — October 23, 2025 PZ-21-25 Steve Thunder, 847 Randall Road, Elgin, IL, acoustic consultant for the project, was introduced and provided an overview of the proposed noise attenuation measures. Mr. Thunder explained that a 55-foot-tall acoustical louvered screen wall would enclose the mechanical yard, allowing air movement while incorporating acoustical materials to dampen sound. Rooftop noise barriers would consist of solid absorptive walls to block sound from escaping between the penthouses, which are open at the top. Solid panels are also proposed around the TITAN coolers on the rooftop of ORD2, elevated to allow airflow beneath while creating a chimney -like effect to contain sound. Commissioner Weir asked if the panels would extend from 7 feet up to 66 feet in height. Mr. Thunder clarified that there is a 7-foot gap below the penthouse height to create a more complex acoustic path and improve sound reduction. Mr. Thunder stated that all generators would be equipped with hospital -grade exhaust silencers reducing sound by 33-39 dB, as well as parallel baffle silencers to maintain airflow while minimizing emissions. Mr. Thunder added that absorption panels would be integrated within the enclosures. Mr. Thunder confirmed the project would comply with all Village daytime, nighttime, and emergency noise limits. Commissioner Weir asked what the proposed materials would look like. Mr. Thunder responded that the panels would be metal, and can be painted in various colors, with one solid "hard" side and one perforated absorptive side designed to capture sound. Chairman Donnelly asked whether any leases had been finalized. Mr. Burnette stated that a prospective tenant is well -positioned to occupy the entire ORD1 building. Chairman Donnelly then asked whether two lots of record would still be required if there were only one tenant. Mr. Burnette explained that this is still under consideration, as the lease has not yet been executed, and the petitioner wishes to retain flexibility to construct ORD1 in two phases should two tenants ultimately occupy the building. Chairman Donnelly asked whether FAA approvals were required, such as rooftop lighting, given the site's proximity to the airport, and whether any height restrictions applied. Mr. Burnette responded that no rooftop lighting is proposed and that similar requirements did not apply to their other projects. Mr. Burnette noted that FAA permits will be obtained for the buildings and construction cranes, but the site is located outside the airport's cone of influence. Commissioner Weir asked what was driving the three-story building height. Mr. Burnette explained that data center stories are typically taller approximately 20 to 30 feet each due to the additional space needed above the equipment for cooling systems. Commissioner Weir asked if each floor would serve a different function. Carlos Cutting, project architect, 1821 Prince John Drive, Grand Prairie, TX, stated that floor functionality depends on tenant needs; for this project, the first floor houses cooling equipment, while the second and third floors are programmed for data operations. Mr. Cutting added that as the industry has advanced, equipment has increased in size and capacity, requiring greater height and an additional floor to accommodate system density. Chairman D invited the public to speak. Mr. Frank Margialardi, 726 W. Dempster Street, Mount Prospect, asked ComEd how the project would affect his electric bill and whether the existing power grid has sufficient capacity to serve the development. Chuck Creager, 361 Windsor Avenue, Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — October 23, 2025 PZ-21-25 Glen Ellyn, representing ComEd, responded that costs would be recovered through the business customer category serving large -load users and would not impact residential customers. Mr. Creager confirmed that ComEd has adequate capacity to accommodate the project. Commissioner Weir asked if there would be more sustainable materials that will be used instead of sod. Andrea Crosset, 200 South Peyton Street, Alexandria, VA, landscape architect for the project, responded that the project will be using mostly native plantings and will meet all the sustainability requirements. Ms. Crosset reviewed the requirement for street trees and confirmed they will be meeting the number for trees, but not the spacing requirement. Commissioner Weir asked whether more sustainable materials would be used in place of sod. Ms. Andrea Crosset, 200 South Peyton Street, Alexandria, VA, landscape architect for the project, stated that the landscape plan incorporates primarily native plantings and would meet all sustainability requirements. Ms. Crosset added that while the required number of street trees will be provided, spacing will vary from strict conformance of the landscape code. Mr. Burnette wanted to clarify that the grassy land on the adjacent United Airlines property would not be used for the project. Hearing no further comments or questions, Chairman Donnelly closed the hearing and asked for a motion to approve the conditional use and final plat, subject to the conditions listed in the staff report. Commissioner Szymczak made a motion and Commissioner Olsen seconded the motion. UPON ROLL CALL AYES: Szymczak, Weir, Olsen, Donnelly NAYS: None The Planning and Zoning Commission gave a positive recommendation (4-0) to the Village Board for the October 28, 2025 meeting. After hearing no more items of new business, Chairman Donnelly asked if there were any citizens to be heard. Hearing no further discussion, Commissioner Weir made a motion seconded by Commissioner Szymczak and the meeting was adjourned at 8:27 PM. J/ Ann Choi, Development Planner Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting — October 23, 2025 PZ-21-25