In July 2025, one city administrator approved a 438,500 square foot Amazon data center in Gilroy — with no public hearing, no City Council vote, and no Planning Commission review. No Spanish-language notice was issued to a neighborhood that is over 90% Latino.

This was legal because Gilroy's zoning code classifies data centers as a routine industrial use — a rule written in 1981, before the internet existed.

The facility has the electrical demand of 20,000 homes. It sits above the Llagas Subbasin — the sole source of drinking water for Gilroy, San Martin, and Morgan Hill. It includes 25 diesel generators permitted for operation during grid outages and periodic testing. The surrounding community is formally designated a disadvantaged community by the State of California and ranks in the 80th percentile for environmental burden under CalEnviroScreen 5.0.

Zero elected officials cast a vote.

The Gilroy City Council meets June 15, 2026. The zoning loophole is on the agenda. We need to show up with signatures.

We are demanding:

→ Zoning reform before Phase 2: Require a public hearing, Planning Commission review, and City Council approval for any future data center in any zone citywide.

→ Full environmental review of Phase 2: A supplemental CEQA review with environmental justice analysis, Spanish-language notice, and assessment of impacts on the Llagas Subbasin.

→ Independent water analysis: Request the Regional Water Quality Control Board assess whether the data center's groundwater use could affect the Olin perchlorate plume remediation system.

→ Financial transparency: Publish a full cost-benefit analysis — tax revenue, job impact, and infrastructure costs — before any Phase 2 approval.

Gilroy is not alone. In May 2026, Monterey Park unanimously banned data centers citywide (4-0). Calipatria passed a 5-year moratorium. Los Angeles County is considering a countywide pause. Gilroy can join them on June 15.

Sign. Share. Show up.