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Data center proposal in Calistoga sees strong opposition from residents
A large and frustrated crowd turned out Monday for what is usually a routine meeting of the Calistoga Fairgrounds Advisory Board to protest a controversial new proposal. Residents gathered to voice opposition to a pitched project that would build a combination data center, parking garage, and heliport on the fairgrounds property, situated close to local residential neighborhoods.
CALISTOGA, Calif. - A large and frustrated crowd turned out Monday for what is usually a routine meeting of the Calistoga Fairgrounds Advisory Board to protest a controversial new proposal. Residents gathered to voice opposition to a pitched project that would build a combination data center, parking garage, and heliport on the fairgrounds property, situated close to local residential neighborhoods.
The advisory board, which only holds the power to suggest actions to lawmakers, allowed the presentation to move forward alongside city officials.
Opposition to data center
"It was something that could at least be presented as a presentation without giving any direction or making a decision or moving forward with the project at all," said Calistoga Deputy City Manager Rachel Stepp.
However, the standing-room-only crowd was not impressed by the presentation, which included architectural drawings and promises that the project would require no taxpayer funding.
"It gained a lot of public interest and most of it, I would say, was probably negative towards the idea and the concept," Stepp said, noting she personally has not heard any positive community feedback regarding the plan.
The mere mention of a data center riled Calistoga residents, who described the pitch as a vague proposal that left far more questions than answers. The concept was initially suggested by a California Department of Agriculture official who has been pitching similar projects to fairgrounds throughout the state.
What they're saying:
Local resident Mark Wingate expressed total opposition to the development.
"Any bit of information I've heard about these AI centers is a total bust. It's not good for any community. Something like this would be catastrophic for a place like Calistoga," Wingate said, later adding that such a project belongs "not on Earth; in outer space somewhere."
The sentiment was shared by visitors to the area. Greg and Carolyn Napper, two Fairgrounds RV Park visitors from Siskiyou County, doubted such a plan would work in Calistoga or in their own home community.
"As far as I know, the data centers haven't made a case for what they are bringing to the community. I haven't heard that. I think there's an arrogance behind it. There's a comfort level they haven't established with the public yet," Greg Napper said.
"The reason I wanted to live in a rural area was for the atmosphere, the environmental conditions, the solitude. A data center somehow just doesn't, it seems to me, that it would not be in the mix," Carolyn Napper added.
Opponents' fears align with three major negative impacts repeatedly reported around the nation regarding data centers: high levels of operational noise, massive water consumption required for cooling systems, and extreme electricity demands that can drive up energy prices for surrounding suburban, urban, and rural communities.
Officials will continue to monitor the proposal if it comes up again locally or elsewhere in the state.