$2 billion Amazon data center approved without public meetings or votes
Amazon's $2 billion data center in Gilroy, California, was approved administratively in 2023 without public hearings, adhering to 1981 industrial zoning rules. Residents only became aware of the project when construction began in April, leading to backlash against the Gilroy City Council. The council is now drafting code changes to require public reviews for future data center projects.
An Amazon Web Services data center in Gilroy, California, valued at $2 billion, was approved in 2023 through an administrative process that bypassed public hearings, Planning Commission reviews, and City Council votes. The project at 8050 Camino Arroyo was green-lit by Gilroy’s community development director, Sharon Goei, by adhering to local industrial zoning rules established in 1981, which fast-tracked its approval.
Despite standard environmental notices issued in 2020, the public comment period concluded quietly, with the project avoiding scrutiny until construction cranes appeared in April. This lack of transparency, reported by the Wall Street Journal, sparked community backlash once residents observed the massive structure rising near the Gilroy Premium Outlets.
The Gilroy City Council is now responding to public concern by drafting code changes to mandate community reviews for all future data center developments. The completed data center is expected to draw 98 megawatts of electricity and use 4 million gallons of water annually, which Amazon states it will offset by beefing up the electrical grid and recycling all water by 2030.