Community objections failed to sway city leaders in a heated battle over one of the latest land-use projects approved for Forest Grove.
Residents stormed out of the Forest Grove Community Auditorium late Tuesday, Sept. 3, criticizing city leadership after the planning commission reaffirmed its decision to greenlight the development of a local data center campus in a 4-2 vote.
Initially approved with conditions in late July, the project has faced significant pushback from residents concerned about its proximity to homes, environmental impacts and potential effects on power and utility rates. Signs reading “No Forest Grove Data Center” are displayed in lawns across the city — and were held high by many during the packed meeting.
The proposed site at 3975 Heather St. is set for a multi-phase development by San Francisco-based Crane Data Centers, providing a physical location that would store, process and distribute data for private companies.
Project developers envision two buildings erected on the vacant grass field: the first, on the southern end, will span 180,000 square feet and rise 40 feet high; the second, planned for the northern end, will be 363,000 square feet and 75 feet tall.
With the verdict finalized, it’s only a matter of time before developers look to break ground — and neighbors aren’t happy.
Pressing against the boundary
David Haworth, who lives about 100 feet from the proposed site, filed the appeal to the planning commission that prompted the Tuesday meeting, challenging the data center over concerns of noise, light pollution and the way it will obscure the neighborhood skyline.
“This building (will be) 75 feet tall. It's the size of the Titanic,” Haworth said. “My house will be in perpetual shade — that's intrusive. It'll be in perpetual light at night because of the floodlights.”
A resident since 2010, Haworth questioned if the data center was properly zoned. The site is located in the city’s Light Industrial District, which allocates land for “low-intensity” industrial uses.
Bryan Pohl, the city’s community development director, explained that zoning classifications are broad, and the data center’s zoning aligns with descriptions that “most closely match the nature of its primary uses.”
“Information is listed as an outright permitted use of the light industrial zone,” Pohl said.
Under the definition written in Forest Grove city code, “information” encompasses the process of producing and distributing information, providing means to transmit or distribute products, as well as data or communications.
Residential homes primarily surround the site, and Neil Armstrong Middle School will have a clear view of the massive buildings from just across the street.
A chorus of concerns
Nearly 20 community members voiced their discontent to the planning commission, additionally citing concerns about traffic congestion, impacts on property values and disruption to migratory birds near the site.
“That is a migrating path for geese — I don't think you’ve thought about the ecosystem of the wetlands to the left of the building and the future damage to the local environment and the animal life that is around that area," resident Maureen Murphy said. “The amount of noise is going to affect animals, it's going to affect us.”
Ken Dobson, a lawyer representing Haworth, raised questions about the center’s power needs — a concern shared by many residents.
“In this case, the issue of power is so central to the operations of this facility, we really need more information on how this thing is going to get powered,” Dobson argued.
Dobson also highlighted the immense water usage typical of data centers, which can require up to 300,000 gallons per day for cooling — around the same use as 100,000 households. While Crane CEO Matt Pfile stated that the first building would use an air-based cooling system to address water usage concerns, the attorney claimed that there was insufficient evidence to show that it would work or that the data center would even use that method.
Despite the outcry, Pohl emphasized that many grievances, including power and water availability, are not part of the site development review criteria. The review focuses on compliance with zoning and general development standards, including specific natural resource protections.
As a condition of approval, Crane must maintain water drainage of nearby wetlands to prevent flooding, and operations must also adhere to the city’s noise ordinance. The company also plans to fund and construct a new extension of Heather Street between Mountain View Lane and Poplar Street as part of the project.
As long as Crane follows the approval criteria, whether the company is able to power the site is an issue for later, city staff said.
“If they can't get the power … then that's going to really send them back to the drawing board,” Pohl said.
Procedure vs. personal reservations
A large majority of meeting attendees showed disapproval, but the planning commission cited criteria restrictions ultimately tied its hands to approve the site.
“I was very open to all that was said tonight, both on the actual application and current status, and I understand a lot of the residents nearby and the concerns, but our job as planning commission is we have to go with what the laws are. I didn't hear anything from the appellant that was outside what was approved under the administration,” commissioner Tim Farrell said.
Commission Chair Virginia Sanderson agreed, noting how her own views on the project are irrelevant in the scope of the commission’s legal purview.
“I'm a Forest Grove resident that doesn't like to see my town change … I don't like to see what I feel are some of the small town characteristics go away, and I don't like to see empty fields and open space disappear and have things pop up in their place, particularly intrusive things,” Sanderson said. “Unfortunately, we're putting the position on the commission of having to set some of those personal preferences aside and say, well, what's the law here?”
Not all of the council agreed to uphold the initial approval — Seth Berdahl and Brandon Culbertson both voted to reverse the commission’s decision. Culbertson, particularly, argued that the data center should be reviewed for a different site under heavy industrial zoning due its scale and energy demands.
“Light industrial zones are intended for moderate intensity uses, which includes smaller scale manufacturing, less energy intensive operations. A facility of the scale with significant infrastructure and energy needs I feel is better suited for the heavy industrial zone,” Culbertson said.
The path forward
While the initial application has been approved, the project still faces several procedural hurdles. This stage essentially provides Crane the “surety” to move forward in the permitting processes, with additional reviews down the road.
“There will be both economic and procedural kind of gatekeeping along the way that will prevent some of the kind of doomsday scenarios a lot of us are worried about from happening, either because the city says 'no,' or because the applicant finds out it's not feasible and moves on elsewhere,” Sanderson said.
“This is a process … there are conditions that have to be met,” she added. “There would be another public hearing if there are changes.”
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