Residents of Gilroy, California, located roughly 30 miles southwest of San Jose, were caught off guard when construction began last month on an Amazon data center in their community. While many similar projects nationwide have faced widespread opposition and delays, the Wall Street Journal reports that this specific development bypassed scrutiny by complying with local zoning regulations established 45 years ago.
The Amazon data center in Gilroy is situated on a 56-acre farmland surrounded by a Walmart Supercenter and the Gilroy Premium Outlets. Although the company and the city began the application process in 2020 without attempting to conceal the project, negotiations revealed some tension. The report highlighted that Amazon’s officials were annoyed by the slow permitting process, which extended by at least a year, while the city resisted some of Amazon’s proposals, particularly those considered no longer negotiable.
Roger Wehner, vice president of economic development at Amazon Web Services, told the WSJ that the site underwent an extensive approval procedure involving public notifications and comment periods. Nonetheless, when Gilroy resident Rosa Rodriguez attempted to voice her worries about the potential environmental harm a data center could impose on a drought-affected area, she was informed the public commentary phase had already closed in 2024—well before data centers sparked national controversy across the United States.
Gilroy’s Mayor Greg Bozzo mentioned that other industrial developments of a similar scale had been approved in the past without objection.
Amazon also noted it is increasing its interaction with locals, claiming officials have met directly with residents and organized an open house to answer questions and gather feedback. Addressing concerns about water shortages—which other data centers have triggered—the company stated it is building a wastewater reclamation facility to fulfill its water usage and will even construct a pipeline to transport reclaimed water to the site.
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At this moment, Gilroy residents are less troubled by the Amazon data center itself and more concerned about the fact that such a significant project was approved without the awareness of many community members.
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