Mona residents file appeal seeking to overturn approval of data center project
Residents in Mona, Utah, under the group Mona Cares, have filed an appeal with Juab County commissioners to reverse the approval of a data center project, alleging it was granted without proper public input. They claim the initial permit process lacked transparency and are pursuing legal avenues after county officials indicated a reversal would be costly. The appeal challenges a conditional use permit approved earlier this year.
Residents in Mona, Juab County, Utah, organized as "Mona Cares," have filed an appeal with the Juab County commissioners seeking to overturn the approval of a large data center project. The group submitted the appeal on Tuesday, challenging a conditional use permit issued earlier this year, arguing that the project was approved without adequate public awareness or input.
Mona Cares spokesperson Taylor Flake, whose property is adjacent to the proposed data center site, stated he only recently learned about the development. The group asserts that official notices for meetings discussing the project did not clearly indicate a data center was on the agenda, and the project's name was confusingly similar to another development.
While county officials, including Commission Chair Clint Painter, maintain that legal protocols were followed for public notice, Flake indicated that comments from Painter about the potential for "millions of dollars in lawsuits from the developer" if the approval were reversed prompted Mona Cares to pursue legal action. Although the standard appeal window is 30 days, Flake contends their appeal should be accepted because the public meeting minutes documenting the project's approval were not posted online until late August. The next step depends on whether county officials will formally accept the appeal.