Modesto residents demand city leaders stop data centers from coming to city

Hundreds of Modesto residents recently converged on City Hall, demanding that city leaders block data center developments within the city. Although the issue was not on the official agenda, the public outcry followed reports of data center developers lobbying city officials. Residents directly urged Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen to commit to a moratorium on data center construction.

Initially, city leaders indicated they were still learning about the issue. However, the city now asserts that data centers are not permitted under Modesto's current municipal code, meaning no applications have been filed, and any future projects would necessitate a code change, environmental review, and approvals from the planning commission and city council. Councilmember Chris Ricci, acknowledging a shift in his stance, stated his support for a moratorium and a specific ban on data centers being added to the city code, despite developers regularly seeking code changes for proposed projects.

Residents are pushing for a more permanent solution beyond the city's current declaration of no plans. They referenced the City of Patterson, which enacted a 45-day moratorium after being approached by a data center developer. A city spokesperson reiterated that Modesto is distinct from Patterson and emphasized the absence of any formal data center applications at present.