Residents urge council to pause Project Skyway, raise water, health and transparency concerns

Dozens of residents urged the Pine Island City Council on June 16 to pause or reconsider approvals for Project Skyway, a proposed hyperscale data center, raising technical, environmental and process concerns.

Susanna Blazek, who spoke during public input, said the project’s Environmental Assessment Record (AUAR) and related materials did not show pretreatment plans for wastewater and asked, “Are these contaminants simply going to be released untreated into the North Zumbro River?” She highlighted potential contaminants of concern, including PFAS and volatile organic compounds, and said periodic flushing of closed‑loop cooling systems could introduce complex substances into the municipal wastewater stream.

Other speakers amplified process and transparency complaints. Joe Blazic said many residents were uninformed or felt intimidated about speaking and criticized rezoning that designated the site as light industrial. “Your silence becomes consent for the developer, for Google, and for those that stand to profit,” he said, urging officials to acknowledge mistakes and help reverse earlier decisions.

Long‑time resident who introduced themself as Rodliners said the project advanced with "so little transparency and public involvement," alleged that a large tax‑incentive package had been negotiated privately and said rezoning had avoided a fuller environmental review. Tucker Hoagland and Aubrey Dirksen likewise called for “unprecedented scrutiny” and a slower, more consultative process, with Hoagland noting the project’s permanence for the community.

A speaker from Rochester who identified himself as Ethan Shones warned of health and environmental impacts he associated with large data centers in other jurisdictions, including respiratory complaints, increased particulate exposure and effects on wildlife and sleep cycles.

In response to litigation updates later in the meeting, City Attorney Bob Voss reported that a court has enjoined parties from moving forward with construction until additional information is provided to the plaintiffs, naming the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy as the plaintiff in that case. Voss said the injunction stemmed from the court’s determination that plaintiffs had not received certain information and staff had attempted to provide it but the plaintiffs could not access the files.

Why it matters: Project Skyway is a large industrial development proposed near residential areas; residents contend its potential environmental effects, local infrastructure impacts and the negotiation process itself merit more review and public engagement. The court injunction means construction is on hold until the legal process resolves information‑access issues.

What’s next: Residents and council members said the community will continue dialog; councilors did not vote to reverse prior land‑use decisions during this meeting. The court case remains active, and the city will likely not proceed with construction while the injunction is in effect.