Lawsuit claims Hermantown violated state law in Google data center plan

The non-profit citizen group, Stop the Hermantown Data Center (SHDC), announced a new lawsuit against the City of Hermantown, Minnesota, challenging the city's process for the proposed Google hyperscale data center in the Adolph neighborhood. SHDC spokesperson Emma Richtman stated the city acted "secretly" and violated numerous state laws by failing to properly involve the public. The lawsuit specifically alleges an illegal zoning change, referencing how the City's Hermantown 2045 Comprehensive Plan included the data center site in an Urban Services area, contradicting the 2015 Adolph Neighborhood Small Area Plan's goal to protect the rural character. Jonathan Thornton, a member of the 2045 Steering Committee, suggested that non-disclosure agreements signed by city officials abruptly ended public process, allowing a "trillion-dollar company" (referring to Google) to influence the urban services area designation without community input. Attorney Cynthia Kosiak further argued that the city provided no rationale for the nonconforming zone in a rural area unless factoring in Google's interest, likening it to illegal "spot zoning." The lawsuit also claims that these nondisclosure agreements violated state law and city code, deliberately limiting public input. Residents, such as Rober Kohlmeier, expressed difficulty communicating with the city, citing unresponsive emails. Kosiak highlighted that the situation exposes deficiencies in Minnesota's data practices and open meeting laws, especially concerning NDAs and pre-agenda discussions, noting that legislative efforts to address these issues are currently stalled. SHDC is advocating for the city to reverse the comprehensive plan and zoning changes and engage residents more actively in discussions about the project's impact on their homes and finances.