The Pittsburg City Council voted unanimously to place a 45-day moratorium on new data center development following a heated meeting, though residents say the temporary pause does not go far enough to stop a controversial project.
The vote targets the next two phases of the Avaio data center project, proposed at the former Delta View Golf Course. The city approved the project’s first phase in 2024, which is not affected by the temporary halt.
About two dozen demonstrators turned out outside City Hall to protest the development, raising concerns over potential health risks and the project’s proximity to homes, schools, and a church.
“It’s right by a church, it’s right by a school, I live in close proximity, I’m worried about the illnesses,” said Pittsburg resident Marta Rodrigues.
The tension carried inside when demonstrators interrupted the start of the council meeting, prompting a temporary pause. Police escorted the protesters out of the chambers, and the meeting resumed with public comment.
Residents continued to press the council during the public comment period, with one commenter stating, “What part of no don’t you understand. I can spell it out for you it’s N-O.” Another speaker added, “We can build a future without an industrial power plant besides the playground, protect the places where our children grown up.”
Councilmembers acknowledged the community’s apprehension following the pushback.
“We hear that there’s a lot of concern….a lot of fear of what it could mean…for city of Pittsburg,” said Councilmember Jelani Killings.
The local pushback arrives just days before next week’s election, with Proposition 45 adding another layer of controversy to the debate. Opponents fear the ballot measure could streamline environmental reviews and make it easier to move certain data center projects forward.
“It guts our environmental and public review…very broad definition of broadband internet projects,” said Woody Little of Clean and Healthy California.
However, a legal analysis from the California Chamber of Commerce challenges that argument, stating that conventional data centers would not qualify under the measure because they do not provide mass-market retail internet access directly to customers.
Next Steps
The 45-day moratorium takes effect immediately. While the council could consider extending the pause before it expires, development on the first phase of the Avaio project remains unaffected for now.
