Mona residents question approval process for proposed $10B data center
Mona residents are actively questioning the approval process for a proposed $10 billion data center in their community, citing a lack of public awareness and proper notification regarding the conditional use permit that allowed the project to proceed. They are seeking answers from the Juab County Commission about public engagement opportunities.
Mona residents packed a Juab County Commission meeting to voice concerns regarding a proposed $10 billion data center project after learning about it unexpectedly.
Taylor Flake, who organized the group Mona Cares, highlighted that residents felt "blindsided" by the development and specifically questioned the approval process that utilized a conditional use permit instead of a zoning change. This process, according to residents, did not require mailed notices to nearby property owners, thus limiting public awareness of the impending "massive industrial data center."
Commission chair Clint Painter stated that the county followed state law by posting notices in three required locations. However, the public hearing for the Nebo North LLC conditional use permit reportedly lasted only four minutes due to minimal attendance, which residents attribute to the generic nature of the notices that did not clearly indicate the scope of the project.