Group sues Hermantown, says city broke rules for Google Data Center

The group "Stop the Hermantown Data Center" announced a new lawsuit against the City of Hermantown, Minnesota, on Wednesday, alleging that city officials broke numerous state laws in their "clandestine pursuit" of a Google Hyperscale data center development in the Adolph neighborhood of St. Louis County. One of the core complaints within the lawsuit is that a key zoning change, which allowed for the nonconforming data center use in a rural suburban area, was enacted illegally and without proper rationale, a practice the group refers to as "spot zoning." Further allegations include that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) signed by city officials violated both state law and city code, reflecting a pattern of operating under a "slow simmer" to avoid public attention and degrade the public process. Resident Rober Kohlmeier expressed frustration over the city's lack of engagement and communication, with his emails often being deferred to lawyers. The group's attorney believes this process has exposed gaps in Minnesota law concerning data practices and NDAs, as well as open meeting laws, suggesting amendments are needed to cover pre-agenda meetings where significant discussions occur. The plaintiffs are seeking to nullify the comprehensive plan and zoning changes made by the city to eliminate the data center project's foundation and demand to be included in discussions regarding the project's impact on their homes and financial situations. The City of Hermantown declined to comment on the pending litigation.