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Residents urge moratorium on data centers, cite water, noise and health risks
Summary
Multiple residents urged Pinellas Park leaders to halt data-center development and adopt a moratorium or ordinance, citing water use, generator emissions, low-frequency noise and inadequate public notice; a developer disputed those claims and offered that modern design can mitigate impacts.
Residents filled the council chamber and pressed Pinellas Park leaders on whether the city should allow data centers within its borders, urging a temporary moratorium and stronger rules before any approvals.
"Please create a moratorium on data centers and draft an ordinance against data centers in Pinellas Park," said Aiden Barnes, a teacher who said he reviewed research showing data centers consume large volumes of water, rely on diesel backup generators and stress local utilities.
Several other speakers echoed Barnes. Robert A. Linton and Sharon Hask raised drought and local environmental concerns, citing potential impacts on wells and wildlife. Sandra Smith and other residents said alerts about a recent boil-water order were inconsistent and urged the city and county to coordinate emergency communications. Marcia Glassy described what she called vibroacoustic or low-frequency sound impacts from cooling and backup systems and asked the council to investigate health implications.
Residents also asked for specific protections: limits on reclassifying land to industrial for data-center uses, assurances against nondisclosure agreements with operators, and requirements for water-recycling and closed-loop cooling systems. "If they do that, they will not only benefit all of us in the community, but they also will benefit themselves going forward," said Kathy Harrelson, who suggested developers pay higher upfront costs for mitigation measures.
A resident who described himself as a long-time developer in the industry, Simon Touchet, responded to concerns by saying many criticisms reflect older technologies. "Closed-loop systems and all of these things eliminate all the issues that you're hearing about," he said, offering to host tours and answer technical questions.
City staff did not take immediate regulatory action during the public-comment period. Council members heard requests for more study, clearer public notice, and ordinance language that would either restrict or regulate data centers more tightly.
The public comment period closed before council moved on to public hearings on annexation and land-use items tied to a specific parcel that residents repeatedly mentioned during comments. The council did not vote on a data-center moratorium at this meeting; several speakers said they plan to follow the annexation and land-use hearings and may urge the city to consider moratoria or ordinance language ahead of any future approvals.
