Stop the Hermantown Data Center announces new lawsuit against city

The grassroots organization "Stop the Hermantown Data Center" has announced the filing of a new lawsuit against the City of Hermantown, aiming to halt the development of a Google data center. This action marks the second lawsuit initiated by the group, following an earlier legal challenge filed in November alongside the Minnesota Center of Environmental Advocacy, which focused on the project's environmental review. The latest lawsuit specifically targets the city's process and communication regarding the rezoning of the Adolph neighborhood in Hermantown, where Google intends to build. The group asserts that the city violated rezoning restrictions and lacked a valid basis to change the area's classification from residential to business-manufacture zoning. They claim these decisions were "arbitrary and capricious," made in "bad faith," and should not be allowed to stand. Further allegations in the lawsuit include claims that the city conducted closed meetings concerning the rezoning on three separate occasions, which the group argues constitutes a violation of open meeting laws. "Stop the Hermantown Data Center" is seeking to compel the city to vacate its 2045 Comprehensive Plan, which includes the contested rezone for the Google data center. While the group's attorney indicated that the lawsuit is expected to be a lengthy process, the City of Hermantown has declined to comment on the pending litigation.