Proposed data center draws heated crowd at Hanford City Council meeting
A proposed data center by Global Stack at the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, CA, drew significant public opposition at a City Council meeting. Residents voiced concerns about water, electricity, air quality, and noise, urging the council to act. The City Council decided to hold two study sessions to review the project.
A significant crowd packed the Hanford City Council chambers on July 21 to express opposition to a proposed data center by Global Stack at the Kings County Fairgrounds. Residents displayed signs with anti-data center messages and voiced strong concerns about the project's potential impact on water and electricity resources, noise pollution, and the city's already poor air quality. Many attendees, including teachers and pediatricians, stated they had never before attended a City Council meeting.
Kings Fairgrounds CEO Dena Rizzardo stated that Global Stack's project is an "edge computing system" rather than a traditional hyperscale data center. However, Mayor Mark Kairis admitted he learned about the project via social media and that the City had not been consulted on the proposal. City Attorney Ty Mizote informed the council that since the Kings Fairgrounds is state-owned property, state agencies are generally not subject to local laws, implying the City Council might lack authority to prohibit the data center.
Despite the legal complexities, residents like Kathleen Jorgensen and Fiona Rodriguez pressed the council on environmental and resource concerns. Ivette Chaidez Villareal, Valley Voice's civic engagement program director, highlighted Hanford's high particulate matter pollution and questioned the true economic benefits, noting data centers employ few people. Residents suggested the City Council form a coalition with the Kings County Board of Supervisors, pass a resolution banning data centers, amend zoning regulations, or pursue a class-action lawsuit against Global Stack.
In response to the public outcry, the City Council decided to arrange two future study sessions to thoroughly review both the data center project and the City’s Flock cameras. Mayor Kairis and Councilmembers Kimber Regan and Travis Paden thanked the speakers, emphasizing that community input guides their decisions, acknowledging the weight of their upcoming actions or inactions.