The Naperville City Council met on January 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments on the IMEA contract extension and the new utility e-billing system, a public hearing for a dormant special service area, the approval of multiple bid awards and spending items, and the main item of the evening: a lengthy public hearing and council deliberation on the proposed Karis Critical Data Center at 1960 Lucent Lane. After extensive public testimony and council discussion, the council voted to deny the conditional use permit for the data center.
Karis Critical Data Center (25-1103F): The council considered a request for a conditional use permit, parking and wall height variances, and an Owner's Acknowledgement and Acceptance Agreement for a 36 MW data center on 40 acres at the former Lucent campus (1960 Lucent Lane). The petitioner's attorney, Russell Whitaker, detailed a revised plan reducing the IT load from 36 MW to 24 MW, reducing the building footprint from 244,000 sq ft to 145,000 sq ft, and reducing the number of required generators from 24 to 12 (plus 4 backup). He requested a deferral to the February 17, 2026, meeting to complete air dispersion modeling reflecting the new design. Approximately 47 public speakers were signed up, with a majority opposing the project. Opposition speakers (residents, physicians, and community groups like NEST) cited concerns about diesel emissions, public health risks (specifically from PM 2.5 and carcinogens), noise impacts, property value diminution, conflict with the city's comprehensive master plan, and strain on the grid. Supporters (union representatives, construction industry groups, and some residents) emphasized job creation (approximately 100,000 labor hours), tax revenue ($2-3 million annually), and the I-88 Tech Corridor's need for investment. Council members discussed the four conditional use standards and expressed concerns that the petitioner had not met the burden for standards 1 (public health & safety), 2 (property values), and 4 (compatibility with master plan). A motion by Mayor Wehrli to table the item to February 17 failed 3-6. A motion to deny the conditional use was then approved 6-1 with 2 abstentions.
Affordable Housing Update: Councilman Kelly requested an update on affordable housing policy progress. By consensus, council directed staff to bring a report to a future meeting on the Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP) and the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO).
Here we go. Good evening and welcome to the January 20th Naperville City Council meeting, the first meeting of 2026. Roll call. Orly? Here. Gibson. Here. Hold tower. Here. Jane. Here. Kelly. Here. Big Broom. Here. Cyan. Yep. White. Wilson. Here. Please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America. One nation under God. Individual with literary justice. Our first item on the agenda is public forum. I'd like to remind everyone of the citizen participation rules in the city's municipal code for speaking at city council meetings. Speakers are asked to present their comments in a respectful and courteous manner. Speakers should stay on topic and be cognizant of their words. Personal attacks on council members, staff, other speakers, or members of the audience are not allowed. If inappropriate language or comments are expressed during this meeting, you will be asked immediately to stop commenting. Also, for audience members, there is no cheering and no jeering. Actions such as applauding, cheering, booing, or any other noises during or at the conclusion of any remarks made by any speaker are not allowed. If this occurs, you will be asked to stop immediately, and if it can continue to persist, I will recess the meeting until the audience abides by the rules in our city code. No speaker should ever feel intimidated by the crowd. Audience disruption is meant to intimidate those speaking, and I will not allow it in the chambers. Audience members with signs, the signs must not block any other audience members' view. Speakers are given three minutes to address the city council. To help speakers stay within the three-minute time frame, we have a timer located on the side dais, that is to your right. Speakers are encouraged to remain in council chambers until the conclusion of public forum in the event council members want to ask follow-up questions. A decision that could be that could have a significant cost ramifications for residents and businesses, and something this is Council member these something this council will be remembered for. Our approach is grounded in economics. We don't have any hidden agendas. We don't ignore environmental issues, but we look at them in perspective relative to cost. Contrary to claims on social media, affordable Naperville is self-funded, independent, and has no ties to IMEA. Our members bring energy experience, and we have conducted extensive research to inform our recommendation. Based on that work, and as outlined on the newsletters we have sent you, we support signing the IMEA contract extension. We also advocated for protections for residential electricity rates, which are now included in the proposed legal agreement between the City of Naperville and CARIS. Looking ahead, we plan to expand our work to other cost areas, including property tax to ensure Naperville remains affordable for all residents. With that said, I'd like to discuss the transparency issue with the MDR RFP results. Member directed resource RFP results were received at the end of October, and still the public has not seen the results.