Gilroy Council votes for more outreach on new projects
The Gilroy City Council approved an update to its permit approval process, requiring more public outreach for large projects like data centers. Many residents and some council members believe the new requirements do not go far enough to ensure closer review of such developments. Residents also urged the council to consider a temporary moratorium on new data centers.
The Gilroy City Council voted 6-1 on August 17 to amend its Architectural and Site Review permit approval process. This update mandates that developers of all new non-residential projects 15,000 square feet or larger conduct a community meeting, mail notices to nearby property owners and residents within a 1,000-foot radius, publish a newspaper notification, and document these outreach efforts. Additionally, the zoning code amendment requires city planning commission review and approval for commercial and industrial projects necessitating an environmental impact report under California guidelines.
The council's decision was prompted by public concern over a new 438,000-square-foot Amazon Web Services data center on Arroyo Circle, which was approved by city staff without planning commission or council review in 2025 under previous development processes. Councilmembers Kelly Ramirez and Carol Marques had initiated the push for greater public review for larger non-residential projects.
Despite the changes, over 20 residents and Councilmember Dion Bracco expressed dissatisfaction, arguing the amendments do not go far enough to ensure broader public scrutiny. Some residents, including Landon Sepulveda, advocated for a temporary moratorium on new data centers, stating that community sentiment opposes these projects. Bracco voted against the amendment, urging the council to undertake a more comprehensive update to the city’s overall development guidelines, which have not been revisited in decades. The council agreed to bring back a discussion on objective development standards for future projects.