A new lawsuit seeks to stop the proposed 1,037-acre Project Cardinal data center, arguing it will negatively impact residents through sound pollution and decreased property values.

John Bryan is suing the city of Yorkville to halt the city’s largest-ever manufacturing undertaking.

Bryan claims the project, which includes 14 two-story warehouses built over a decade or more, will negatively impact neighbors in the largely residential and agricultural location.

The project plans include a 625-foot setback from the warehouses to Bristol Bay subdivision and a 1,200-foot setback from Equestrian Estates. Its location is northwest of Illinois Route 47 and Galena Road, south of Baseline Road, and east of Ashe Road.

Bryan’s legal team is claiming the city’s comprehensive plan slates the area solely for residential.

A hearing at the Kendall County Courthouse on Nov. 19 set the schedule for the legal proceedings. The hearing involved project developers Pioneer Development, LLC, joining the case as a defendant.

Judge Robert Pilmer gave Bryan’s team until Dec. 19 to file an amended preliminary objection. Pilmer said the next date all parties are due back in court is Dec. 30.

Bryan filed his initial lawsuit against the city on Oct. 28. The City Council approved the development PUD on Nov. 10.

Bryan said neither Project Cardinal nor the city have provided him assurance that the constant hum and noise pollution of the data center and its generators will not negatively harm his well-being.

“The mayor said that the generators will only be tested during the day and said we can at least have a quiet breakfast,” Bryan said during a past city council meeting. “That says it all. That’s the one that’s going to resonate in the Kendall County Courthouse.”

Bryan said it’s astounding the city’s noise pollution studies do not include the 10 to 20 years of construction with its significant construction traffic and noise pollution.

During a previous City Council meeting, Bryan demonstrated the alleged noise pollution by placing a speaker on the press table and playing the decibel the data centers are expected to emit into the surrounding community.

The city and developers have presented sound studies alleging the noise emitted from the data center will not exceed the city’s noise ordinances. They also released a traffic study showing minimal effects, however the study did not include the construction period.

The city has argued that the tax revenues generated by the data center will be a game-changer for the community.

City Administrator Bart Olson said at full build-out, the development is projected to generate between $35 million and $70 million in property taxes annually for Yorkville School District 115.

In addition, each individual warehouse will generate between $1.4 million to $2.9 million in utility taxes. This translates to $20 million to $40 million at full build-out.

Alderman Arden Joe Plocher said during a previous City Council meeting the city has long-envisioned manufacturing along the length of the Eldamain Corridor.

The city is currently eyeing around 3,000 acres of data center development along Yorkville’s “data center alley.”

During previous city meetings, several neighboring residents voiced their concerns about the project. Many agreed with Bryan when he said, “You are going to change the look and feel of Yorkville forever. The PUD is for 20 years. You are not going to have to deal with this, your children and grandchildren are.”