In California, residents say their city approved a 'technology park,' not a data center

August 8, 2026 - 18:14

Residents in a California community are pushing back against a project they say was sold to them as a "technology park" but is actually a massive data center complex. The distinction matters, they argue, because of the noise, water use, and environmental impact that data centers bring, especially when located near schools and homes.

The project in question was approved by local officials under the technology park banner, which many residents say downplayed the true nature of the development. One parent, whose child attends a middle school directly across the street from the proposed site, voiced the frustration shared by many in the area: "Knowing there's a middle school right across the way ... I'm just not okay with that."

The concern is not just about aesthetics. Data centers require constant cooling, which means large amounts of water and heavy-duty air conditioning units that generate a low, continuous hum. That noise can travel, especially at night, and residents worry about the impact on students' concentration during the day and on their own sleep at night.

Beyond the immediate neighborhood, there are broader worries about the strain on the local power grid and the increased fire risk from high-voltage equipment. The city council approved the project, citing job creation and tax revenue, but critics say those benefits are often overstated for data centers, which employ relatively few people once built.

The situation highlights a growing trend across California and other states where developers use vague terms like "technology park" or "industrial campus" to smooth the path for data center construction. Residents are now asking for more transparency in the approval process and are exploring legal options to challenge the decision. For now, the middle school across the street remains a symbol of what they feel was a misleading approval.