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2w ago

Monterey Park Bans Data Centers With Voter-Approved Measure

The measure bars data centers inside city limits, requiring a later public vote to reverse and locking in local control over high-power AI-era facilities.

City officials had previously welcomed plans to build a sprawling data center at this empty property on Saturn Avenue in Monterey Park, Calif., photographed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
“No Data Center in Monterey Park” signs pepper front yards in a residential neighborhood in Monterey Park, Calif., on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
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Overview

  • Monterey Park voters approved Measure NDC, which forbids data centers within the city and can be overturned only by another public vote.
  • The ballot effort grew from opposition to a roughly 247,000–250,000 square-foot proposal by HMC StratCap, and the developer withdrew its application and declined to contest the measure.
  • Residents opposed the project over specific health and quality-of-life concerns, citing noise, air pollution, higher electricity rates, water impacts, and nearby property-value effects.
  • Industry groups and some building-trade supporters argued data centers bring construction and operations jobs and infrastructure benefits while acknowledging weak community engagement on projects.
  • The vote adds to a patchwork of Southern California policies where some cities have moratoria or bans and others court data centers, and it could influence how neighboring jurisdictions weigh permits, power use, and local protections.