Amazon plans open house in Burbank for Walla Walla County data center project

Amazon Data Services is holding a community open house on August 11 in Burbank, Washington, to address public questions about its proposed data center campus in Walla Walla County. The event, which will not include a formal presentation, is designed to allow residents to engage directly with company representatives on topics such as water, energy, and environmental impacts.

This open house comes as Amazon faces a deadline to complete an application for a site development permit and environmental review, initially filed in late May. The Walla Walla County Community Development Department issued a notice of incomplete application, giving Amazon 60 days, until August 24, to submit the missing information.

While not mandated by the county, local officials, including Commissioner Gunner Fulmer and Development Director Melissa Shumake, had encouraged Amazon to host such an event. Amazon stated that community open houses are a standard part of their development process. The company plans to build three data center buildings on a 134-acre parcel within the Port of Walla Walla's Wallula Gap Business Park, where Amazon previously acquired 554 acres.