Resident urges district to weigh impacts of data centers planned near Piper High School

Neil Palmer, a district patron, told the Piper Unified School District Board of Education that proposed data center buildings immediately south of the new Piper High School and at 123rd Street could create noise and light impacts and urged the district to communicate with city decision‑makers.

“These buildings are going to make noise,” Palmer said, and asked the board to allow the superintendent to contact county commissioners and the developer on the district’s behalf. He said he had already sent a proposal to the developer asking that at least one of the buildings immediately south of the school be moved east to reduce noise, light and visual impacts on students and nearby residents.

Palmer said the project has passed the city planning commission and was scheduled for a county commissioners hearing on June 26. He told the board that 29 residents around the north tract signed a petition opposing that site plan and said the three buildings on the south tract sit on the school district boundary line, which could complicate how future benefits are allocated between jurisdictions.

The board did not take any formal action on the matter during the meeting. Palmer asked the board to consider either authorizing the superintendent to write to the commissioners or to add an agenda item authorizing the superintendent to communicate with the county. He said he would help craft talking points.

Board President read the district’s public comment rules before the remarks and did not engage in follow-up questions, consistent with the district’s stated practice that board members do not respond to public comments during the session.

The discussion was recorded during the public comment portion of the meeting; no staff report or formal motion from the board concerning the data center proposals appeared in the agenda that evening. The district’s next administrative steps, if any, were not specified at the meeting.