Mundane city decision on splitting of San Jose lot spurs data center foes
A routine San Jose city decision to subdivide a tech campus parcel has drawn significant opposition from residents who fear it will pave the way for a large data center. Opponents cite concerns about increased traffic, noise, energy, and water usage, while city officials state the subdivision is only an initial step and the data center proposal will undergo a separate review.
A decision by San Jose city planners on August 12 to approve the subdivision of a 157.4-acre parcel within a 176.3-acre tech campus, currently occupied by Western Digital, has ignited strong community opposition. Residents fear this seemingly mundane land division is a precursor to a proposed 444,400-square-foot data center on a 15.5-acre portion of the subdivided site.
Sonal Nayak, a local resident, voiced concerns that the data center could lead to increased traffic, noise, energy consumption, and water demand. Western Digital representative Jason Victor indicated that the smaller, subdivided parcel is intended to be made available for another entity to develop the data center.
Despite the vocal opposition, city planner Manuel Atienza clarified that the subdivision approval is merely a "first step" and does not authorize new construction or serve as approval for the data center project itself. San Jose's Deputy Planning Director Manira Sandhir acknowledged the community's concerns, confirming that the city is conducting a separate review of the data center proposal.