Data center

Criticized the lack of accessible transcripts, elimination of public archives, and the $60,000 consultant contract during a budget deficit, saying the city is 'railroading us and making us pay for it.'

Said it's unconscionable to place Premier Fields and Dream Courts near the data center and asked for air purifiers at Dream Courts and no play during generator use; also questioned Brown Act compliance on the moratorium.

Drew on her experience being priced out of Oakland by tech to warn Pittsburg against becoming a city of haves and have-nots under investor-driven development.

Cited the general plan's air quality goal, the 800-foot distance to homes, 85 dB noise, and up to 35°F heat increases; urged a moratorium covering Phase 1 or an outright ban on data centers.

Demanded AI-generated transcripts of ad hoc committees, criticized watered-down EIRs since 2020, and noted the city was billed double for consultants over the August 3 meeting.

Read Government Code 1090 conflict-of-interest rules, argued the mayor's recusal doesn't cure the contract conflict, and vowed residents will hold officials accountable regardless of election results.

Noted that council members skipped the Spanish-language St. Peter's Church presentation and said the city manager was misleading about the moratorium not covering Phase 1; asked for transparency.

A Rancho Medanos alumnus who called it shameful to build a data center a block from his old middle school and asked whether officials care about children's future.

A San Marcos resident and East County Rapid Response Coalition member who cited cancer-risk findings, diesel storage hazards, and the promised 15 jobs as a poor trade-off for community health.

Referenced the idle-free zones program and an NBC report on generator pollution near schools; recalled the old PG&E plant's toll and asked the council to sit down with the developer.

Played generator noise audio over Zoom and urged the council to go beyond the 45-day moratorium, citing restrictions adopted in New York, Oregon and elsewhere.

Thanked Faith in Action and St. Peter Martyr for the Spanish-language presentation, cited asthma and cardiovascular statistics, and revealed her public records request showed Spanish-speaking families weren't directly engaged before the council vote.

Supported the 45-day moratorium though she wished it were longer; warned about Prop 45 on the ballot and suggested the city look to San Jose's environmental protections and community outreach standards.

Argued the ordinance's urgency findings are legally flawed because exempting Phase 1 undercuts the claimed emergency; urged no further contract negotiations with AVAIO during the moratorium.

Read a Meta AI-generated comment about diesel generator health risks near homes, schools, and parks, demanding health impact studies, air and noise monitoring, and battery backup instead of diesel.

Said the 45-day moratorium took an enormous community fight and urged the council to protect children and the future; promised continued community pressure.

Questioned how pausing only Phases 2-3 matters when Phase 1 can't be stopped, and quoted AVAIO's CEO on avoiding communities that don't want the project.

Described living near data center construction in Texas, citing dust, noise, and power outages during a polar vortex, and urged residents to research candidates before the November election.

Declared that 77,000 residents are saying no to data centers and called the Phase 1 exemption meaningless — comparing it to cutting smoking from three packs a day to one.

Objected to speakers being removed from chambers and urged the council to stop the project, saying human lives matter more than any lawsuit or AI bubble.

Called the moratorium's timing — days before an election, excluding Phase 1 — a political tactic, and said the council hears but doesn't listen to residents' demands.

Said nothing residents do changes anything, called council members cowards, and demanded a 90-day moratorium on all phases, vowing to return until a full data center ban.

Spoke in English and Spanish, saying the council is lying for votes since Phase 1 is already approved, criticizing handpicked advisory committee members, and urging residents to vote against Adams and Kobata.

A middle school teacher in the district raised concerns about AI's cognitive effects, unfulfilled economic promises of data centers, and the project's location next to a middle school.

Demanded a 90-day moratorium on all phases and called on the council to remedy its admitted mistake by banning data center development in Pittsburg.

Speaking for the Western Steel Council and construction labor groups, urged a no vote, arguing standards can be developed without a moratorium and citing Santa Clara's decision to update permitting instead.

Said the advisory committee was a smokescreen, demanded a 90-day moratorium, and described a Sterling, Virginia data center generator failure that drove residents from their homes.

Called the advisory committee a response to backlash rather than genuine transparency, questioned the 19 hand-picked members, and urged a 90-day moratorium.

Demanded a 90-day moratorium, said residents have a right to attend meetings, cited his own asthma from nearby construction dust, and warned incumbents would face voters.

Challenged the 'football field' distance claim, said the project is not fully approved given outstanding permits, and criticized the committee's membership.

Supported a 90-day moratorium, called 45 days insufficient given land already sold, and asked for mixed-use alternatives like recreation and event space.

Described the data center as an insult to black and brown working-class communities and said the community was never given time or choice before the land deal.

Urged a 90-day moratorium on all phases and an eventual ban, and suggested a hospital or true technology park instead.

Asked the city to calculate the cost of breaching the contract and redirect toward a recreation center or local businesses, and threatened future legal action over health impacts.

Called the 45-day moratorium a sham since Phase 1 is already approved, questioned the committee's independence, and asked if members would live a football field from a data center.

A young speaker said no one wanted the data center, citing student protests and yelling from the audience, and asked the council to breach the contract.

Claimed the soil management plan wasn't submitted to the CEC before the docket closed and that the CEQA analysis was therefore invalid.

A Pittsburg native demanding a 90-day moratorium, citing a 28,000-signature petition and alleging the mayor's recusal confirmed a real conflict of interest.

Questioned why a hand-picked committee replaced a formal commission and asked for a two-year moratorium with stronger zoning language.

Demanded a 90-day moratorium and an outright ban, saying the community has opposed the project for four months.

Said officials only support the data center for financial reasons and disputed claims that it was approved before the current council took office.

Criticized council members telling voters they had no choice on the data center, cited $30,000 in campaign contributions from data center-supporting groups, and demanded a two-year moratorium.

Spoke poetically about habitat destruction — coyotes, rabbits, hawks — saying the project sacrifices wildlife and community for 'progress.'

Called the 45-day moratorium political obfuscation given the $7 million deficit, and said a headline passing a moratorium won't save re-election campaigns.

Cited student walkouts and called data centers complicit with ICE and surveillance of Latino communities, demanding a 90-day moratorium and a ban.

Questioned the timing of the moratorium call as election-season politics and urged acceptance of legal risk to stop the project.

Submitted public records findings showing no documentation that Rancho Medanos junior high families were directly notified about the project, raising equity concerns for black and brown families.

Shared results of her informal poll showing opposition grew from 6 in 10 to 8 in 10, and criticized the lack of bilingual outreach — she got a notice but didn't realize input was still possible.

Supported a 90-day moratorium over 45, urged the council to study San Jose's data center policy framework, and asked that contract negotiations be put on hold.

The mayor of Coachella shared how his city paused and then permanently banned large-scale data centers after residents spoke up, urging Pittsburg to listen to its residents.

Asked the council to measure itself against the city's mission statement and said the rezoning destroyed the dreams of residents near the site.

Demanded the data center be agendized, said other cities imposed moratoriums, and threatened to vote in new council members in November.

A 77-year resident described a bacterium found in data center cooling water that she says threatens immunocompromised people, including her daughter with leukemia.

Cited a 5,500-gallon diesel spill at a New Jersey data center and asked for a 90-day phase-one pause and moratorium on phases two and three.

Spoke of climate anxiety and urged the council to reject data centers, citing broader corporate climate damage.

Described noise, diesel generator testing, water impacts, and biodiversity loss, asking what kind of community the council wants to build.

Speaking Tamil with a translator (double time), she detailed electricity, water, noise, and property value impacts of AI data centers.

Requested a 90-day moratorium, a supplemental project-level EIR, health risk assessment, and public release of air quality analyses.

Said residents can't revisit phase one is a 'farce,' accused the council of conflicts of interest including the mayor's PG&E board seat, and demanded a moratorium.

A resident since 1980, she said the data center has derailed her retirement plans and urged the council to admit a mistake and ban it permanently.

Demanded a written official moratorium referenced by the mayor at the NAACP forum, and listed anti-data-center candidates for the November election.

Asked what it would take for the council to listen, citing 92-96 dB noise next to a middle school.

Opposed the data center, citing electricity demand and health unknowns, and asked for a pause; also condemned threats made against Council Member Kobata.

Strongly opposed the data center, accused the council of hypocrisy on civility, and urged continued organizing.

Raised environmental and respiratory harms, the Antioch train stop relocation, and warnings about electricity diversion to the data center.

Asked for a moratorium, citing drone-strike risks to data centers, wildlife displacement, and her family's health history; no longer views her home as part of her retirement plan.

Corrected a staff slide on hydrogen versus hydrogen peroxide, noted the backup generators use biodiesel, and cited moratoriums in Richmond, Oakland, and San Jose.

Mocked the advisory committee's catering spending and said Oakley and Brentwood are moving toward bans; demanded environmental justice.

A 77-year resident whose daughter has leukemia said non-disclosure agreements on the project mean there's no transparency and fears for her family's health.

Called the data center committee a farce, objected to a minor's participation, and demanded the committee be dissolved and re-vetted transparently.

Spoke for families of students at Rancho Medanos and Los Medanos Elementary, asking for a joint evacuation plan and alert system with the school district before operations begin.

A local organizer who framed the data center as part of a broader power grab and praised moratoriums in Richmond and Hayward.

Said the city lacks transparency, and noted Spanish-speaking residents (40% of the community) are alienated by meetings without translation.

Said he applied to the advisory committee and learned it was already formed with no public meetings or shared names.

Asked that advisory committee minutes be placed on council agendas, cited a 97% NextDoor poll favoring council term limits, and asked for a town hall.

An architect from San Leandro who called the CEQA analysis illegal piecemealing, demanded fence-line air testing, and questioned missing funds and police spending.

Demanded a moratorium again, said the advisory board isn't what residents wanted, and criticized police funding levels.

With the Stop Pittsburg Data Center Coalition, demanded an immediate moratorium and ban, calling the project environmental racism near a middle school.

Lives 1,000 feet from the proposed facility; said nearby communities are winning fights against data centers and challenged the council to admit a mistake.

A lifelong resident who said the project erased what Pittsburgh stood for and accused the council of ignoring constituents on Instagram and the agenda.

Lives across Golf Club Road; laid out the facility's height (81-105 feet) and her measured distances from her home, and asked the council to listen.

Said the advisory board doesn't represent residents due to conflicts of interest, and clarified the actual scope of the 2024 planning commission vote on the tech park.

Zoom commenter asking again for the data center on a future agenda and a 45-day moratorium like Richmond's, plus a town hall with the council.

Raised health concerns about low-frequency infrasound from data centers, citing cardiac and sleep effects and harm to animals.

Stated simply that he does not want data centers in Pittsburg and hopes the project is discontinued.

Accused the council of civil rights violations for clearing the chamber, questioned the mayor's recusal, and later argued AI data centers shift energy and water costs onto residents.

Asked the city to publish who is on the data center and hydrogen committee, when and where it meets, saying the community feels iced out.

Criticized the one-page air quality analysis in the environmental documents and detailed diesel generator health risks including particulate matter and lung disease.

Estimated pollution spikes from generator startups equivalent to thousands of big rigs, warned of structural damage from low-frequency resonance, and raised indemnification and lawsuit exposure.

Questioned whether the data center will face water cutbacks with the power plants and warned the Contra Costa Canal could be tapped, urging residents to write letters to the water board.

Demanded a three-year moratorium, criticized the chamber clearing, and questioned why council candidates supported worker safety in Martinez but not Pittsburg residents.

Said pleas to stop the data center fall on deaf ears and urged the council to try to exit the deal, noting other cities are imposing bans.

Requested fuller meeting minutes and translations, questioned recycled water priorities and cancer-risk thresholds, and noted the planning commission did not recommend the waterfront data center.

Questioned whether the city can actually enforce the settlement against a billion-dollar company and urged negotiating an exit while leverage exists.

Demanded the data center return as an agenda item and a three-year moratorium, citing 27,500 petition signatures and unanswered questions about PUSD funding, water, e-waste and phased EIRs.

Urged a moratorium, arguing the developer targets low-income communities, and delivered part of his remarks in Spanish.

Called proceeding with the project selfish and inhumane despite community objections about health and job losses.

Said he learned of the meeting two hours earlier, urged the council to review recordings and truly listen to constituents.

Called for an immediate three-year moratorium, framed health impacts as violence, and warned of electoral consequences.

Criticized the council's transparency and communication about the technology park and accused it of favoring corporations.

Said the advisory committee appears hand-picked without public input and demanded a moratorium and agendized discussion.

Argued the city can't justify a data center by claiming it needs tax revenue when the sports tourism project's budget ballooned by roughly $10 million and the promised skate park was cut.

Said trust was broken when the public was cleared from chambers, called the advisory committee 'too little, too late,' and demanded a moratorium on all phases and a ban on data centers, promising to keep showing up.

Praised Island Energy's personal service and asked for public confirmation that a Vallejo data center wouldn't drive up Mare Island rates; staff confirmed it wasn't in Island Energy's service territory.

Asked how many data centers are planned, whether PG&E would prioritize the data center during outages, whether it could draw from the Contra Costa Canal or Delta, and who the tenant is.

Argued CEQA has been gutted by recent state and federal legislation, warned his fire insurance could rise due to the data center, questioned the biodiesel type, called the Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit meaningless, and closed by requesting a moratorium on all data centers within the urban limit line.

Accused the council of stealing the community's voice for investors, contrasted giving land to servers with seniors unable to find affordable housing, called for a senior facility with union jobs, and urged the council to cancel the contract.

Warned the fire suppression system uses PFAS 'forever chemical' foam that would contaminate drains and test as a carcinogen, complicating disposal at the treatment plant.

Said residents weren't listened to, questioned AI industry stability, and asked what guarantees exist that noise won't harm autistic students at Los Medanos, the junior high, and Diablo Vista schools.

Was called but did not speak before the record moves on.

A Silicon Valley software engineer who said hyperscale AI data centers differ from cloud data centers, AI business models are risky, property values may already be affected, and the project's own filings acknowledge cancer risk; closed by requesting a moratorium.

Cited a Virginia data center causing power filtering for half of US households, warned of blackouts and higher rates, said the project isn't fully green and relies on fossil backup generation, and raised toxic wastewater risks from closed-loop cooling.

A retired 30-year Iron Workers Local 104 member and homeowner who said data centers create few local jobs, described ghost-town campuses, and urged the city to pursue a Google-style corporate campus with six-figure jobs instead.

Cited a 23,600-signature petition against the data center, accused council members Killings and Banales of being emboldened because they're not up for re-election, and questioned whether phases two and three were already decided.

A multi-generation Pittsburg resident whose husband commutes hours for work since the steel mill closed; she said a phase two and three moratorium would rebuild public trust and raised eminent domain concerns from a Georgia fiber infrastructure case.

Speaking on Zoom, criticized council members Killings and Banales, demanded a moratorium, and called the lack of in-person Spanish interpretation embarrassing for a city where nearly half of residents speak Spanish first.

Retired steelworker asked for a moratorium on phases two and three and recusal of any council members with conflicts of interest.

Lives across the street and says she never received notice of the data center; concerned for her health and asked for reconsideration.

Resident since 1980 implored the council to stop all phases, saying her home's value and retirement plans depend on it.

Noted 75+ stalled data center projects nationally and 24,000+ petition signatures; asked the council not to be tone deaf.

Family here since 1930; asked the council to do the right thing with the information they now have.

Said recycled water leaks and pollution will harm the Delta fishery and asked who would visit a park next to a data center.

Said she helped initiate the movement and asked the council to admit failure and correct course.

Cited 26,000 signatures, the discounted golf course sale, and demanded a two-year moratorium.

Asked why the project was kept secret and demanded a two-year moratorium, warning the council can be voted out.

Longtime opponent urged the council to vote no on the data center and criticized the planned webinar as inadequate public engagement.

Iron Workers Local 378 president supported the project, citing eight years of reviews and the risk of driving away builders and good jobs.

32-year resident said Avaya is a private equity firm with zero operating data centers and no track record, and asked the council to shut the project down.

Said the community doesn't want the project and criticized the approval process for lacking citywide input.

Questioned why scrutiny of affordable housing wasn't applied to the data center and said residents' concerns aren't being heard.

Criticized the approval as an environmental injustice affecting schools, houses of worship, and West Leland Road users; urged people over profit.

Cited a public records request showing no Spanish-language outreach during the 2024 approval and quoted a council member admitting no one had visited a data center; demanded it return as an agenda item with a moratorium.

Lifelong resident said the city sold it as a technology park, not a data center, and raised water, power grid, and diesel generator concerns.

Said the CEQA lawsuit settlement's protections show unresolved issues and flagged a tier-4 construction loophole; asked the city to pause pending permits.

San Leandro resident raised water usage math, low-frequency noise not covered by CEQA, and property value losses on Golf Club Road.

Demanded a ban on the data center and asked the city to instead fund the Pittsburg Library, which is cutting Monday hours amid a literacy crisis.

Explained water-free cooling alternatives and argued the city is choosing drinking water over better technology due to cost.

Opposed the project near Vinci High School and asked how residents without Facebook or Zoom will be notified about the August 3 meeting; requested a two-year moratorium.

Antioch resident representing family in Pittsburg said the project puts profit over working-class people and would sit next to a middle school.

Vallejo teacher said the golf course was sold at a $6 million discount without public bid and the will of the people has been ignored.

Health-program professional with 12 years' experience joined the moratorium demand and opposed a waterfront zoning conversion that lists a data center as a use case.

Warned of the AI bubble popping and 'AI psychosis,' arguing a data center won't deliver the promised revenue or jobs.

18-year-old resident demanded an urgent moratorium, calling the project a profit play near residential areas and schools.

Raised the 2017 ENRA timing before the golf course closed, diesel generator cancer risk figures, and the air district's overburdened-community designation; requested reconsideration and a two-year moratorium.

Martinez resident urged a moratorium on phases two and three, saying the city was deceived by the 'technology park' framing.

Native resident demanded answers on water, carbon-free energy, and e-waste for future phases, plus three-minute comments and full attendance at the August 3 meeting.

Young resident asked the council to listen to Bay Area voices calling the project morally wrong.

Pittsburg High grad raising her daughter here said the council can still stop the project and should listen to citizens.

Picked apart the city FAQ's 'assumed' 50 hours/year generator figure, saying 37 diesel generators would blow past air district thresholds in five days.

Asked the council to impose a moratorium and revisit the green-tech zoning language to check for more planned data centers on the waterfront.

Said corporate greed is trumping democracy and worried about water and jobs for low-income residents.

Monument Impact organizer via Zoom said the council should seek to cancel the contract and pass tenant and land protections; echoed translation demands.

Came after work to demand translation equipment and a moratorium, saying the council has turned against residents.

Lifelong resident with economics degrees argued the data center brings only short-term construction jobs, no long-term benefits; lives across from the site.

Cited the facility's 99-megawatt draw — enough to power the city more than three times over — and potential 500-megawatt expansion and health impacts.

Lifelong resident said data centers strain water and power, create few permanent jobs, and occupy land better used for housing and community development.

Requested a two-year moratorium on phases 2 and 3 and a citizen committee to oversee wildlife inspections and the $750,000 community grant; cited a 12,000-signature petition.

40-year resident called the project a waste of Pittsburg space and worried about long-term water and power costs hitting her bills and taxes.

Pittsburg High '87 alum said the process lacked transparency, compared it to Oakley rejecting a similar project, and cited noise and utility bill impacts.

Nearby resident raised wildfire risk given the region's extreme climate and said the land could serve better community uses.

Speaking for the project's developer, said it reflects six years of planning, dedicates half the golf course to sports fields, uses 100% recycled water and carbon-free electricity, and cleared every CEQA element.

Building trades representative said members fully back the project after eight years of review by numerous local, state and federal agencies.

22-year resident and West Pittsburg community activist urged continued engagement and asked that the item be agendized.

Started the community petition after learning of the project from a Councilmember Kobata Facebook post; asked for transparent communication and meaningful engagement.

Demanded an immediate moratorium on all data center phases and played a recording of data center noise; later asked the council not to cut Small World Park or Buchanan Pool in the budget.

Monument Impact organizer echoed moratorium demands and pushed for rent control, just cause, and a second high school as priorities.

Monument Impact intern demanded a non-elected community advisory council with monthly environmental reporting and a lowering of the annual rent increase cap from 10% to 3%.

Did the math: $6,000 per resident over 20 years, $10-25 million in lost tax dollars, roughly $20 million per job created — called it a 'debt extraction deal.'

Software engineer challenged the biodiesel 'renewable' claim, noting it produces more nitrogen oxides, and questioned why the item wasn't on the agenda.

PHS teacher noted not one senior's business project proposed a data center — students wanted community-serving spaces instead.

Student asked detailed questions about Pittsburg Power Company grid capacity, PG&E interconnection, water discharge, and protected species omitted from the settlement agreement.

East County NAACP president criticized the council's transparency and cited research on data centers' health impacts.

Pointed out the irony of adopting a water shortage plan the same night the council supports water-hungry data centers; asked for a moratorium.

Cited the 12,700-signature petition, 58,000 gallons/day water use, and fire risk — noting his own home nearly burned two years ago.

Martinez Indivisible member warned about water pressure loss during fires and AI's water footprint.

Parent of a one-year-old asked the council to delay the project indefinitely until concerns are addressed and the public has meaningful participation.

Insurance worker warned homeowners insurance will get harder to obtain and demanded the council 'take this back.'

30-year resident questioned NDAs, tax abatements, first responder readiness for battery fires, road damage costs and blackout risk.

Spoke in Spanish and English as DIálogo committee president, 23-year resident; said the project near the junior high brings contamination risks and no real local jobs.

La Clínica health educator noted Pittsburg's asthma rates exceed state averages and asked the council to make community health a priority.

East County NAACP Youth Council president questioned the need for another data center and pledged to keep speaking out.

Suggested requiring voter approval for any data center expansion beyond 99 megawatts, warning residents may pursue a citizens' initiative.

Laid out the project timeline from the 2018 golf course closure and demanded public votes on each phase, accessible hearings, a published fiscal analysis, and conflict-of-interest disclosures.

Pittsburg Education Association president, representing 600 educators, asked the council to oppose the AI center citing mass surveillance of students.

Native resident and youth worker demanded an immediate moratorium and questioned air-cooling claims in 100-degree summers and e-waste from yearly equipment upgrades.

15-year-old first-time activist said the data center drains resources from community centers, local business and a long-requested skate park.

PUSD employee of 20 years and PHHS grad said the community does not want the data center and the council should answer questions face-to-face, not via FAQ.

Family nurse practitioner at the county health center demanded a ban on data centers, citing utility bills, pollution and climate impacts.

PHS and Stanford alum and teacher questioned whether the fast-tracked process involved improper influence and criticized AI's societal harms.

Lifelong resident who voted for named council members asked them to reconsider.

Longtime affordable-housing advocate and cancer survivor, with family cancer diagnoses, angrily urged the council to reject the project.

Raised privacy concerns linking AI data centers to surveillance systems and asked the council to cancel Flock and AI contracts.

66-year resident who lives 400 yards from the golf course spoke emotionally about losing trails, wildlife and peace of mind.

Asked the council to put the data center on a future agenda; raised recycled-water limits, energy use equal to all Pittsburg homes, rising utility costs, noise/infrasound health effects, and requested public dashboards and full assessments before phases two and three.

Longtime resident urged reconsideration of phase one approval and a halt to phases two and three, citing health evidence, plummeting home values, higher energy costs, fire risk in 110-degree summers, and proximity to a junior high school.

Emotional longtime resident and grandmother said the data center should never have been approved near homes, schools, parks and churches, citing noise, vibration, emissions, light and property value damage, and asked the council to stop it.