Ahwatukee neighbors calling for stronger regulations on data center under construction
Residents in Ahwatukee are protesting the construction of a new Menlo Digital data center, citing concerns about light, noise, traffic, and water usage. They are calling for stronger regulations from the City of Phoenix, which has enacted tighter rules for data centers starting in 2025, though this project was approved under older zoning ordinances. The City of Phoenix has acknowledged the concerns and plans to evaluate its City Code for future developments.
Neighbors in Ahwatukee are raising concerns and actively protesting a new Menlo Digital data center under construction in their community. The project, described as a campus with five buildings totaling one million square feet and a substation, is designed to draw 257 megawatts of power, roughly equivalent to powering 58,000 homes. Residents are worried about potential impacts including increased light, noise, and heat from the facility's operations, as well as traffic and water usage.
The land has been zoned as industrial since 1996, and the current Menlo Digital project received preliminary approval under these older rules. While the City of Phoenix has acknowledged residents' concerns and stated they will evaluate City Code, new, stricter regulations for data centers, including more requirements and setbacks, are set to take effect in 2025. However, these newer rules do not apply to the currently approved project. Menlo Digital stated its facilities use air-cooled technology to minimize water use and noise, and committed to being a good community neighbor. Neighbors have organized, collected thousands of signatures, and are calling for these stronger regulations to be applied more broadly to protect their community.