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Monterey Park council approves moratorium on controversial data center
Monterey Park officials have put the brakes on a proposal to build a data center like one pictured here in Quincy, Washington.
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Megan Farmer
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KUOW
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Topline:
Monterey Park city leaders have put the brakes on a proposed data center after hundreds of residents packed City Hall Wednesday night in opposition. The council approved a 45-day moratorium while it explores a permanent ban on data centers in the city.
The project: The Australian-based developer HMC Capital Strat Cap wants to build a nearly 250,000-square-foot data center in the Saturn business park.
The opposition: Residents voiced anger and fear about a data center bringing noise and air pollution to the city, and consuming vast amounts of energy. Also, they blasted city officials for not publicizing the project more and questioned the motives behind the developer wanting to site a data center in a majority Asian and Latino city with many immigrants.
What’s next: City officials will draft a potential outright ban on data centers during the 45-day moratorium. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for HMC Capital Strat Cap who was at Wednesday’s meeting said the developer has been hearing residents’ concerns and would move forward with plans to hold a town meeting with them in the next couple weeks.
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