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Council declines rezoning for proposed East Bay data center after extended public comment
Summary
After an extended hearing with dozens of public comments raising concerns on water use, energy demand, noise and land‑use fit, the Provo City Council voted against a proposed zone‑map amendment to allow a data center overlay at the East Bay site; the implied motion did not pass.
The Provo City Council heard lengthy public comment and a developer presentation before voting down a proposed zone‑map amendment to apply a Data Center overlay to property in the East Bay neighborhood.
Staff introduced the proposal and said the site would use existing on‑site power as available and a closed‑loop cooling system. "What the applicants are looking to do with this data center is have it be one where they're acquiring their power needed to run it from our grid as that power becomes available," staff said during the presentation, and the applicant described proposals to use treated "silver water" and third‑party vendors to manage fluid changes.
Neighborhood representatives urged postponement and asked that the city complete an economic plan and study long‑term impacts. "My reasons are as follows...Mayor Judkins asked that the decision be postponed until after the Provo economic plan is complete," Angie Carter said as East neighborhood district chair. Residents and others expressed concerns about noise near hotels and a school, local water use in an ongoing drought, potential upward pressure on energy prices, and whether the site is the best long‑term use for the property.
The applicant's representative, who identified himself as Steve Styler, said the owners acquired the property in 2017 and have coordinated with city staff and Provo Power. Styler said early engineering suggested 6–10 megawatts already allocated to the site and that the project team proposed not discharging cooling water to the city sewer system and instead contracting third‑party removal. He also outlined a potential taxable investment and long‑term campus redevelopment plan.
Council discussion highlighted the tradeoffs between economic development and environmental/quality‑of‑life risks. Several councilors urged caution and said the city’s pending economic development study and a change in Provo Power leadership counsel a slower approach. Chair McKay summarized: the parcel is part of a larger redevelopment study area, and an economic plan should inform long‑term decisions.
The council then took the implied motion to apply the overlay to the property; the motion failed (recorded vote: no by all councilors present).
