Hermantown residents flood council meeting, sharply challenge proposed hyperscale data center and transparency

Hundreds of residents and dozens of speakers packed Hermantown City Hall on the night the council opened general public discussion, with the meeting dominated by emotional testimony about a proposed hyperscale data center in the city’s southwest corridor. Jonathan Thornton told the council he had watched a five‑hour meeting online and said residents’ comments had produced “almost no dialogue,” adding that the process had eroded trust in city leaders.

The dispute centers on a proposed campus residents and some documents call “Project Loon.” Opponents raised multiple concerns: secrecy and nondisclosure agreements used in early negotiations; disputed water‑use figures; potential noise and generator emissions; traffic and long construction timelines; and fears about loss of rural character and falling property values.

“Why are you voting yes? Why are you rezoning when 95% of us do not want this project?” Jeffrey Donahue asked the council, accusing officials of hiding details and repeating a frequent claim from speakers that the public has been excluded from key information. Multiple speakers cited FOIA releases and emails they said show negotiations and site lists that were not broadly publicized.

City staff and pro‑project speakers disputed the most extreme assertions but did not promise to rescind approvals on the spot. Mayor Boucher and staff reiterated procedural limits for public comment and the council’s role: Mr. Mulder, a city staffer, explained that aspects of the project remain subject to additional permits, environmental review steps and development agreements.

Not all testimony opposed the data center. Kim Parmeter, president and CEO of the Hermantown Area Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to consider long‑term benefits: “Behind every card swipe, every podcast and every photo upload is a data center,” Parmeter said, arguing that the project could bring jobs, enable water and sewer extensions paid for by the developer, and broaden the city’s tax base. Kirk Allenda of Lakehead Constructors said local union tradespeople could fill many construction roles.

Technical debate focused on water. Opponents repeatedly questioned numbers they saw in FOIA documents and handouts: some speakers said the project could demand far more water than the developer’s public estimate. Avi Devoretti, who identified himself as an engineer and data‑center operator, urged context: aging regional infrastructure and broader power‑price drivers affect rates, and he described hyperscale facilities as capable neighbors when properly sited and regulated.

Residents asked the council for clearer, written commitments: specifics on water‑use limits, who would be financially responsible if an unfinished project left the city holding costs, and whether the council would see a development agreement and special‑use permits before major infrastructure steps proceed. Several asked the council to pause until those documents and community negotiations were complete.

The meeting’s tone was often heated; speakers alternated between calls for civil dialogue and sharp accusations that the council had prioritized developer interests over residents. Mayor Boucher opened the meeting by telling attendees she would enforce a three‑minute rule and urged civility, and the council took public comments without immediate votes on the underlying data‑center approvals.

The council did not take a final action on the data‑center approvals that night; instead, the record shows continuing reviews, permitting steps and separate votes on other agenda items. Residents said they plan to continue attending meetings and using records requests to press for more transparency.

What happens next: residents asked for public release of the development agreement, clearer water‑use guarantees, and engagement with neighboring jurisdictions and state agencies. City staff said follow‑up materials and future agenda items will be scheduled, and several speakers said they will return to council meetings to press for binding commitments.