Glendale approves 160-acre data center annexation amid neighbor concerns
Neighbors raise pollution, water concerns over new data center site
Glendale councilmembers voted to annex 160 acres in Waddell for a data center and power plant. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen hears from nearby residents about their concerns.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - A major project is moving forward after the Glendale City Council voted this week to annex land in Waddell to build a data center and energy plant. The development, known as Project Eagle and Project Baccara, is drawing concern from neighbors about pollution from the project.
Local perspective:
April Butler lives and works just one mile from the project site.
"We’re really frustrated because we think we had some pretty good arguments," Butler said.
The City of Glendale is annexing and rezoning about 160 acres of land west of Litchfield Road and Olive Avenue from Maricopa County for the Project Eagle data center and Project Baccara energy plant. The data center is going to have three buildings.
Resident Concerns:
Living with health issues, Butler says she is worried about pollution. She says adjacent data centers already pollute the air.
"To look out and not be able to see those mountains, that’s some bad air," Butler said.
The developers, Takanock and Montera Infrastructure, say the project uses technology approved by the EPA to minimize emissions and comply with air quality standards.
Butler is also worried about their water usage.
"We need to really pay attention to what we’re using here in Arizona, and we have a limited supply," Butler said.
What they're saying:
Takanock and Montera say the projects use technology that minimizes water use without using the City of Glendale's water.
Glendale Councilmember Lupe Conchas voted yes to hold them to those promises.
"We are holding them to account for a lot of the things that the residents who are living nearby care about," Conchas said.
Dig deeper:
Conchas says the financial benefits for the city are too good to pass up. Developers have pledged to help fund emergency services, which could include a new fire station in the area.
"I want to ensure that we don't have to raise any taxes on our residents, so by annexing this project into the City of Glendale, we also receive the development impact fees of over nine million, 10 million dollars," Conchas said.
The other side:
However, Butler says residents outside of Glendale like her will not reap those benefits.
"They did what they thought was best for Glendale. They don’t have Glendale residents out here. We had no voice really," Butler said.
The backstory:
In April, the mayor and city council voted unanimously to approve the pre-annexation development agreement for the project.
What's next:
Takanock and Montera say they are still finalizing the construction timeline, but they are expecting to begin preparing the land in the coming months.
Map of the area of the approved data center.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from April Butler, a nearby resident who lives and works near the project site; Lupe Conchas, Glendale city councilman for the Cactus District; developers Takanock and Montera Infrastructure; FOX 10 reporter Andrew Christiansen; and previous FOX 10 reports.