Hermantown council approves contract to update AUAR for proposed Google data center amid heavy public pushback

Hermantown’s City Council on March 16 approved an amendment to a third‑party contract to review an updated Alternative Urban Area‑Wide Review (AUAR) tied to a proposed hyperscale data center campus, a move that follows months of contentious public testimony and repeated calls for a full environmental impact statement (EIS).

Director Johnson and city staff told the council the update will produce a large‑scale scoping document, then a draft AUAR and a final AUAR with an enforceable mitigation plan. Johnson gave an approximate seven‑month schedule for the scoping and AUAR steps and said the updated AUAR would supersede the prior AUAR; staff said the AUAR is required by statute to analyze the same issues normally covered in an EIS and must be updated every five years.

Why it matters: residents and environmental advocates argued the AUAR process is insufficient for a multi‑building, long‑term campus they say would bring noise, light, heavy utility use and potential harm to wetlands and trout streams. Opponents urged the council to require an EIS before permitting or to move the project to a non‑residential site. Supporters, including union trades representatives, said the campus would bring sustained construction work and apprenticeship opportunities for local residents.

What council did: Council moved and passed Resolution 2026‑38, approving an amendment to Braun Intertech’s contract for an amount not to exceed $23,000 to provide third‑party technical review services on the updated AUAR and associated scoping documents. Council discussion confirmed that the updated AUAR would be posted to the city’s project web page and submitted to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) to trigger 30‑day public comment periods.

Key assertions and responses: Several residents asserted that council and staff had operated under nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and that the earlier AUAR was inadequate. The moderator and staff responded that council members had not signed NDAs (the record includes the statement that no councilor signed NDAs) and that the city has engaged third‑party reviewers and legal counsel. City staff said comments received through the EQB process will be logged and passed to the city’s consultants for response as part of the AUAR update.

Next steps: Staff said the timeline would start with publishing a large‑scale scoping document (anticipated in late March/early April), followed by a draft AUAR and public comment periods; the final AUAR and mitigation plan were anticipated to return to council for action by late summer or early fall 2026. If a court or regulator later requires an EIS, staff said the city will comply and proceed with an EIS instead.

Quotes: “The AUAR process is designed to study a worst‑case scenario and create a mitigation plan that’s enforceable,” said the city representative explaining statutory requirements. Resident Emma Richman asked, “What is your plan for the site and building 20 years from now when Google leaves?” and urged escrow or dismantling provisions. Resident speakers repeatedly asked whether wastewater, low‑frequency noise from cooling and backup generation, and archaeology surveys would be explicitly addressed in the updated review.

The council recorded roll calls approving the contract amendment and related resolutions; no opposing votes were recorded in the roll calls shown on the record. The meeting recessed after the vote.