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McDONALD -- While village residents thanked council for placing a one-year moratorium on data centers, they want officials to next prepare a strategic plan and have an independent environmental assessment done on the former U.S. Steel property to determine what business would best be suited there.
Oppidan officials last week conducted a presentation at McDonald High School and showed proposed plans of wanting to locate several data centers on the property off Ohio Avenue.
Residents are now asking for an environmental assessment to explore the effects that many data centers would have on their community.
Mayor Ray Lewis said at this week's council meeting with the moratorium in place the planning commission has time to do research on data centers.
"As the village leadership has learned more, this issue is far more complex. This will require research, discussion and a thorough review of the potential impact a data center would have on our community," Lewis said.
He said it is village officials' responsibility that if development does occur at the site, the village and its residents come first.
He said officials will gather facts and make decisions on any future development carefully.
Lewis said no site plan to date has been submitted by Oppidan or any other company to locate in the village.
Lewis said there needs to be attention to an environmental impact to whatever is located at the property.
Issues that officials will look at include revenue for the school district and the village, and the jobs for the local labor and when a business opens there.
"I will fight to make sure McDonald benefits from any development or any business at our industrial park," Lewis said. "From the day I joined council 11 years ago, I made it a priority to speak to any potential investors, developers, respective residents or anyone who wants to come to our wonderful community."
Resident Liz Johnson said, "The moratorium allows for a pause so council can determine what is best and safest for our community. Oppidan can go back to Minnesota and let us decide what is best for the village."
She said at the Oppidan public meeting Sept. 16, the public was frightened by the maps showing the size and the number of data center buildings they want to locate in the village.
Johnson said an independent environmental assessment is needed of the property.
"Opiddan came here and scared everyone with their plans," she said.
Solicitor Doug Ross said no application with a site plan has been submitted to the village by Oppidan or any other business.
Resident Denise Deltondo said there needs to be time for officials to look at different options for the property.
She said while she understands the closing of McDonald Steel was a loss of revenue for the village she said she and many other people are afraid of what Oppidan showed they would like to locate at the site.
Deltondo said she is concerned about pollution, noise, consistent trucks coming in and out of the village, and the location of a date center being 100 yards from a preschool.
"We need an independent environmental assessment of the property to see what other business could best locate there. Explore all options before allowing a data center to locate in our quiet village," Deltondo said.
Resident Stacy Foster asked if publ;ic forums could be held on the review process so residents could ask questions and be kept up to date on what officials are doing.
Resident Cathy Woods said she would not want to see residents live under loud noise, bright lights and constant truck traffic if there was a data center.
"Would people want to live under these conditions? Will a data center deter people from moving here? I am thankful for the moratorium," Woods said.
She asked council to work on a strategic plan.
Resident Mary Kay Skufca said many people are scared and frustrated after hearing and seeing the plans presented by Oppidan officials.
She said people wish the proposed plans had a smaller date center.
She said if the project were to take five years the truck traffic alone to and from the site would create problems.
Cara Pecchia, owner of the Learning Tree Preschool, said an environmental study would benefit the village on what is best for that location.
"This has become a powerful topic and will be an important decision council will need to make. Many people are afraid," she said.
Pecchia said while a company is needed to be in the village to generate revenue and jobs, "Oppidan is not the right fit for our village."
Lewis said while the village needs to look at opportunities for the future, economic development can't come at the expense of people who live here.
"I want to see the community succeed for generations to come but will never put the health and safety of our residents in jeopardy," he said.
He said since the moratorium is in place, council is looking at different options.
Village Administrator Tom Domitrovich said officials when making any decision on what is located at the former McDonald steel property officials will focus on the well being of the village.
He said a business at the location would provide needed revenue for the village and its future,
Council President Sean Schmidt said when officials saw the size of what is being proposed by Oppidan to possibly locate in the village with more than 10 data centers he spoke with Lewis of his concerns.
"We would not let something of that size come to the village," Schmidt said. "I spoke to council members privately after the meeting and it would have been a 6-0 vote against allowing that. The mayor was the first one to say, "No way."
Schmidt said officials agreed they could not "support a monstrosity like that."
Councilman Brian Bosheff said the planning commission is reviewing the zoning ordinance to see what regulations can be in place for whatever business locates in the community.