The Alhambra City Council on Monday, July 27, unanimously approved an ordinance placing a city-wide data center ban on the November ballot, potentially paving the way for other Los Angeles County cities to enact similar anti-data center legislation, advocates said.
Should the Nov. 3 vote pass, Alhambra would follow in Monterey Park’s footsteps as the second city in California to ban data centers through a public vote, with anti-data center organizers hoping other cities follow suit.
Amy J. Wong, an Alhambra resident who “championed” the data center ban in Monterey Park, said she and other organizers from No Data Center San Gabriel Valley campaigned cities across the region to pass anti-data center bans similar to Monterey Park’s.
They’re modeling legislation after Measure NDC, which banned data centers in Monterey Park citywide with an overwhelming 88% of the vote. Measure NDC followed a monthslong campaign by community members to prevent data center developer HMC StratCap from building a hyperscale data center at Saturn Park, a site in Monterey Park.
Part of NDCSGV’s efforts include tracking cities with temporary data center moratoriums and pushing officials to ratify their ordinances into a ballot ban.
Of the cities on NDCSGV’s watchlist – Baldwin Park, Montebello and El Monte – Alhambra was the first to place a data center ban onto the November ballot.
“I read the supporting argument, and I’m pleased that it matches Monterey Park’s,” Wong said. “Alhambra residents deserve the choice to vote on a data center ban this November.”
Alhambra city officials said that while the city has no current data center applications, and the city’s prior June 22 ordinance prohibited data centers citywide, a ballot measure – reversible only through another ballot – could stop future councils from overturning the anti-data center precedent. The ordinance is preventative.
Mayor Jeff Maloney added that a data center ban met the Alhambra residents’s needs on multiple fronts.
“People in Alhambra are watching what happened in Monterey Park and seeing how they handled it, and … they knew that these developments aren’t right for us,” Maloney said.
Beyond utility hikes, water and noise pollutants and other traditional concerns, Maloney added that the city wouldn’t be able to logistically support a data center. An Alhambra data center would mean sacrificing housing, recreational and business opportunities for an “irresponsibly-planned,” low-revenue yield project on already-sparce land.
“Data centers feel like a little bit of a gold rush, where people are looking to make a quick profit instead of thinking, ‘What is this?” Maloney said. “Why are we rushing into this now, when communities are clearly saying we don’t want this next door to us?”
And it’s not just NDCSGV organizers tracking Alhambra’s anti-data center ban. Other city officials are, too.
Baldwin Park Mayor Daniel Damien said his city is aware of developments in Alhambra.
However, Damien added that the city’s “focus remains on our own regulatory process and community needs,” and “It would be premature to speculate on whether Baldwin Park would pursue a ballot measure like Alhambra’s ahead of the November election.”
But for El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona, Alhambra’s actions may not be premature.
Alhambra, while currently the first city to place a citywide data center ban on the November ballot, may not be the last.
“We’ve been following the conversation in Alhambra and other San Gabriel Valley cities with great interest,” Ancona said. “It’s encouraging to see communities taking the time to carefully evaluate the long-term impacts of data centers before moving forward. I’ve been advocating for the same thoughtful approach in El Monte because I believe our residents should have a voice in decisions that will shape our city’s future.”