Petition opposes idea of data center
News Clipobservertoday.com·Portland, Chautauqua County, NY·4/17/2026
Community members in Portland, New York, are actively opposing a proposed data center project at the former Sugar Hill Golf Course. A petition against the data center has garnered over 2,000 signatures following a Town Board meeting where public comments were entirely against the project. Despite the opposition, the Town Board has previously expressed general support for development that could boost the local tax base.
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Gov: Portland Town Board, New York State
A recent Portland Town Board meeting saw significant community opposition to a proposed data center eyeing the former Sugar Hill Golf Course as a potential site. The courtroom was filled with residents who voiced unanimous disapproval of the project, with public comments lasting 45 minutes.
Following the meeting, Portland resident Kelly Perlette organized an online petition through change.org, which quickly amassed over 2,000 signatures. Perlette and other residents expressed concerns that the data center would compromise the town's serene environment, close-knit community, and shared values, fearing it could turn the region into an "industrial corridor."
Despite the strong public sentiment, the Town Board had passed a resolution on March 11 expressing