City of Imperial files a formal objection regarding the Data Center
IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA) — The City of Imperial says it has filed a formal objection over how Imperial County is handling a proposed data center project.
In a post shared on social media, City officials say they have submitted both a formal objection and a protective appeal, arguing the County is not following its own process.
The filing comes after the Imperial County Planning Commission voted to delay consideration of the project, directing the developer to meet with the City of Imperial, the City of El Centro, and nearby residents before returning to the Commission.
City officials say the County later announced the project would instead move directly to the Board of Supervisors after an appeal was filed by the developer a move the City says contradicts the Planning Commission’s action.
“Since the lawsuit was filed, there are some new and different things the City has learned, and there may be an amended pleading filed. That’s been part of the discussion, and scheduling a response to that amended pleading would happen as part of that process," said Dennis Morita, public information officer with the city of Imperial.
The City’s objection follows a CEQA lawsuit filed earlier this month, raising concerns about environmental review and public involvement.
We reached out to Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing President and CEO Timothy Kelley, who provided a statement saying:
The proposed Data Center being planned Imperial County will be a game changer for our region. They sales tax and future Real Estate and Property Taxes will benefit everyone in the Imperial County that drives on a road, crosses a bridge, receives devices from the many Imperial county agencies. Local schools will receive the taxes needed to build new schools, pay it teachers, and pay down their debt so that can put money back into education rather than servicing debt. Imperial county has the services and Infrastructure to develop new industries, and we are training a workforce for the jobs that will be created. There has been a lot of research on the proposed site, and the Imperial county planning department has done a great job processing the application for this project.
Some people have legitimate concerns and those are being considered but many statements related to Energy, Water, labor, pollution are just false and are being spread by people who don't want investment into our region.
if you look at each argument logically this project will bring a much greater benefit to our community than what those opposed could imagine.
