A data center campus planned outside of Eloy hit a roadblock when the Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted against changing the zoning for the land parcel.
It’s not immediately clear whether developer Vermaland plans to reapply, but it would likely take months for the matter to come before the board again. The supervisors voted 4-1 against two measures to facilitate construction on the La Osa development, which would have included 11 data centers in southern Pinal County.
Commenters at the Aug. 26 public hearing filled the meeting room, which had a capacity of 119 people, and spilled into two overflow rooms. Some donned red shirts and carried signs or wore buttons expressing their disapproval of the data center project. Others wore white Sheet
Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers shirts — several unions said the five to 10 years of construction would provide needed jobs to the state’s tradespeople.
Opponents expressed concerns about water use, noise, impacts to air quality and wildlife, and changes to the rural character of the area.
The scope of the project already had been decreased from more than 50 planned data centers to 11. After a hearing earlier this year, developers came to the board with new “stipulations,” or conditions, including restrictions on building size and annual water use, in an effort to quell concerns.
A Vermaland representative said the public had given "a lot of feedback" on the plan, which led to changes to the proposal presented Aug. 26.
But critics weren’t satisfied with the new conditions. Several speakers said they weren’t against data centers in general, but they believe other locations should be considered because of the site's proximity to Ironwood Forest National Monument and other areas frequented by wildlife.
“It’s home to many breeding birds and animals, and it deserves to be conserved,” said Doug Jenness, a Marana resident who has organized wildlife surveys for many years. “It’s not just some sort of barren desert area."
He said, "There are places in Pinal County where a data center could be built" with less environmental impact.
Fernando Lebron, a union representative, said the project could be a boon for tradespeople in the state.
“La Osa creates an opportunity to put that workforce to work right here in our community, and create construction jobs, support local businesses, generate economic activity and provide opportunities for apprentices to learn a skilled trade that can support their families,” Lebron said during public comment.
Supervisor Mike Goodman, who voted to reject the developer’s applications, said the county should still remain open to data centers and other tech.
“We need to create an ecosystem here that we bring in these industries,” Goodman said. But, he added, “with that being said, there’s not enough information on this.”
Stephen Miller, the only supervisor who didn’t reject the rezoning applications, said he was concerned that the board was “cutting into” constitutional rights and that concerns about data centers were overblown.
“Individuals have a right to use their property the way they want,” Miller said. “And I really think that they’re, it’s just really part of what our society is going to look at going forward.”
Alaina Mencinger covers tech, energy and utilities for the Arizona Republic. Reach her at Alaina.Mencinger@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Opponents prevail in La Osa data center fight in Pinal County
