By admin 
FLORENCE, AZ (AZFamily) — Residents in Pinal County are working to stop a proposed data center near the city of Eloy and Picacho Peak.
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Christine Wyman moved to Pinal County from Chicago a year and a half ago for what she described as peace, quiet and a relaxing rural lifestyle.
She said she does not want a large data center built nearby.
“I moved out here because I like the desert sky at night. I like the quiet. I like the animals. I don’t want to be living in a place where it’s polluted constantly and you can’t get a minute of rest because there is constant noise,” Wyman said.
Wyman, a mental health therapist, is among a growing number of homeowners trying to stop the 3,300-acre La Osa Data Center from breaking ground.
Residents raise environmental concerns
Opponents of the project have raised concerns about groundwater use, local energy costs, air quality and the impact on the surrounding desert environment.
Theresa Gredig lives a few miles from the proposed site. She has joined many of her neighbors in sending emails, writing letters and making calls to the Pinal County Board of Supervisors urging them not to allow the project to move forward.
“There are people all around here upset that this is being snuck in, and those who have been able to talk to supervisors feel like they are not really getting listened to,” Gredig said.
The board has a meeting Wednesday morning where members are expected to vote on a proposed zoning change. Developers need the site to change from agricultural use to industrial use.
The opposition to La Osa is similar to pushback seen in other Arizona communities where data centers have been proposed.
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Developer says project has been scaled back
Arizona’s Family reached out to Vermaland, the developer of the La Osa Data Center. A representative said the company is aware of the community’s concerns and has taken steps to address them.
“The project was initially going to be 59 buildings and would have been the largest data center site in Arizona,” the representative said. “…we have scaled the project back to 11 data center buildings.”
The developer said stipulations are also in place to cap water and power consumption, limit sound decibel levels at the property line, and dedicate nearly 1,000 acres to open space.
Residents like Wyman said that is not enough, and said the data center will disrupt their community if it is built.
“I don’t want it at all. I don’t think it belongs here and I think many neighbors would say the same thing,” Wyman said.
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors meeting will be held at the administrative complex in Florence at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
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