Apple Valley council unanimously denies proposed Technology Park data center

Apple Valley’s City Council on Thursday unanimously denied a series of land-use approvals for a proposed data center known as the Apple Valley Technology Park, halting the project after the applicant withdrew a rezoning request that the project required.

Planning staff member Tim told the council the applicant, identified in the record as Apadan Development with owner Rockport LLC, had sought to rezone roughly 135 acres from SG to a mixed-use business campus (MUBC) and to authorize site and building plans for a multi-building data center campus. Tim said the application also included a conditional use permit. He told the council the applicant formally withdrew the rezoning on March 6 and Rockport withdrew consent, leaving the rezoning “off the table” and meaning the data-center use would not be allowed under the property’s existing SG zoning.

The council then considered three separate resolutions, as staff requested: to deny the preliminary plat, to deny the site and building plan and associated building permit, and to deny the conditional use permit. Council member Bridal moved to adopt the resolution denying the preliminary plat (planning application case number PC24-23-B); Council member Hebert seconded. The roll call showed unanimous support and the motion carried.

The council followed with separate unanimous votes to deny the site/building plan and building permit and to deny the conditional use permit. Christina conducted the roll calls; those voting “Aye” in the record were recorded as Hoopah, Bergman, Grendel, Hiebert and Melander.

Tim summarized the application history for the council, noting the matter had been before the planning commission multiple times. He said the planning commission recommended denial of a comprehensive plan amendment in a prior proceeding (recorded in the packet as resolution 20 26 11) and that the commission later recommended denial of the plat, site plan and CUP. Tim also asked the council to accept three additional public comments into the record for the hearing.

Council members and staff thanked planning and other city staff for the time spent handling the application. Council discussion in the meeting focused on the procedural history and the practical effect of the applicant’s rezoning withdrawal; councilors did not adopt the rezoning and instead approved resolutions to deny the land-use applications before them.

What happens next: because the applicant withdrew the rezoning, staff told the council the data-center use cannot proceed under the current SG zoning without a new rezoning application. The council’s denials addressed the specific applications on the table; the record does not show a new application being filed during the meeting.

Actions at a glance • Preliminary plat denial (planning application case number PC24-23-B) — motion by Council member Bridal; seconded by Council member Hebert; outcome: approved unanimously. • Site and building plan and building permit denial — outcome: approved unanimously. • Conditional use permit denial — outcome: approved unanimously.

Authorities and records cited in the meeting included the planning commission record and a prior council resolution recorded in meeting materials as “resolution 20 26 11.”