During a highly attended Naperville City Council meeting on Tuesday night, residents gathered to express their concerns about a proposed data center development.

The developer, Karis Critical, attempted to address community worries by suggesting a reduction in the number of diesel generators from 24 to 12. However, this proposal did little to alleviate the concerns of the numerous residents who took the opportunity to voice their opposition.

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“We do not want a data center anywhere in Naperville or even Illinois,” declared one passionate speaker.

If approved, the data center would span approximately 145,000 square feet and be situated along the Interstate 88 corridor, near the intersection of Naperville and Warrenville roads, on what was once the Lucent campus. Local residents have raised objections, highlighting the close proximity of over 200 homes, as well as nearby nature preserves and playgrounds.

Naperville resident Rich Janor articulated the community’s sentiment, stating, “We’re not opposed to data centers. We’re pro-business. We like AI, but we don’t want it so close to homes and neighborhoods and parks and where our kids play and ride their bikes.”

Rich is a father of two. He, along with more than 5,000 other residents, have petitioned against the proposed 36-megawatt data center.

“We think property values would take a hit. Nobody is going to move into a neighborhood if a data center is there,” Rich told ABC7. “This is where they play. This is where they ride their bikes. There’s three playgrounds in close proximity to here.”

Neighbors say they are worried about noise and air pollution from several diesel generators that would occupy the site.

William and Linda Scotti live a short walk away from the proposed site. They moved in just 18 months ago.

The Scottis are concerned the wildlife from the adjacent forest preserve may permanently leave because of the potential noise and air pollution, citing the generators.

“See that dead tree? The day we moved in, it was April. There were two bald eagles sitting there on that dead tree,” Linda said.

But the data center’s developer, Karis Critical, says generators would only be used in a power outage and during monthly tests.

“We spent a lot of time with emission experts. We’ve spent time with engineers. We are very confident that what we are designing and building in that facility will not have a negative impact on public health,” said Karis Critical Executive Vice President of Strategy and Operations Greg Strom.

Speaking with ABC7, William said, “Here’s my question, would you want a data center in your backyard?”

So, ABC7 posed that question to Strom, who is also a Naperville resident.

“I am very confident. And also, I was on those tours of city council members in December when you go to these facilities and you stand up front. And trust me, we had a decibel reader with us. It’s very clear that sound doesn’t travel that far,” Strom said.

Strom says his company has worked with the city of Naperville to codify everything they have pledged in their proposal.

“A lot of residents were concerned. It’s like, ‘Hey, they make all these promises. What’s to stop them from going against those promises?’ The city does a great job of then putting that writing in an enforceable way,” Strom said.

Karis says it has scaled down its initial plan, reducing the facility’s size, number of generators, and energy use.

“Mitigate is not eliminate. It’s kind of like putting a filter on a cigarette. It mitigates some of the risk, but there’s still a lot of risk,” said Naperville resident Lori Melhart.

Karis also says the project would create hundreds of construction jobs and has the support of several trade unions.

“Our goal is to rise, rise above fear, politics, and the extraordinary conjecture on social media to present the city council with scientific facts,” said Karis Critical attorney Russ Whitaker.

And just a few miles away, another data center is in the works, and with the proliferation of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, Rich says, one way or another, Naperville may be on the cusp of setting a critical precedent.

“Other towns are watching Naperville, the third largest city in Illinois, and a lot of times, they’re watching what we do and may may react accordingly. So, the stakes are pretty high here tonight,” Rich said.

Two west suburbs are considering approving two separate data centers.

In Naperville, thousands of residents have signed a petition in opposition of the proposed data center while the city council is considering approval of the developer’s plans.

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Developers of the proposed data center along the Interstate 88 corridor are hoping to get the green light from city council while concerned residents hope city council will hear their environmental, noise, and potential health concerns and shut it down.

“This is where they play. This is where they ride their bikes. There’s three playgrounds in close proximity to here,” said Naperville resident Rich Janor.

Karis Critical says the generators are new technology with less emissions than old diesel technology and would only be required in case of an electrical outage.