Phoenix clears data center of street hurdle

Menlo Equities, the developer behind a controversial data center project in Ahwatukee, a community within Phoenix, Arizona, has successfully navigated a minor administrative obstacle. The company had scheduled a virtual hearing for March 18 with a Phoenix planning hearing officer to address a stipulation change regarding the dedication of an additional 5 feet of 50th Street. However, the request was withdrawn after the city's Planning & Development Department deemed it unnecessary, citing that the existing 30-foot dedication was sufficient for 50th Street, which is classified as a "Minor Collector F." The project involves a five-building, 1-million-square-foot data center and office campus on 40.6 acres, for which Menlo Equities acquired the land in 2015 and has already cleared a former call center complex from the site. The developer’s attorney, Nick Wood, had previously presented to the Village Planning Committee (VPC) that the 30-foot dedication was a mistake from 1997, and 35 feet was required due to a Salt River Project easement. Despite this resolution, neighbors continue to oppose the data center, citing concerns about health, water and electricity consumption impacts, and potential noise. Opponents used the stipulation change request as an opportunity to voice their objections to the VPC, which had recommended site permit stipulations two years prior, subsequently approved by the City Planning Commission and City Council. However, both VPC Chairman Andrew Gasparro and Vice Chair Clifford Mager reiterated that the site’s zoning, approved in 1997, already permits data center use. City Planner Anthony Grande also indicated that the street dedication issue was a technical problem that would not derail the project. This leaves residents with little apparent legal recourse to halt the construction.