Out-of-state developers are trying to bring a hyperscale data center to Gardner. This poses real health risks to Gardner residents. The Council votes on the rezoning June 15.
This is what these data centers actually look like.
Marketing renderings make these projects look like sleek campuses. What gets built is heavy industry: long buildings with dense rooftop cooling, security fencing, large paved yards, backup generators, and round-the-clock operation — like the campus in this aerial, beside crop fields and open land. A site at this scale is a permanent industrial neighbor, not an office park. Illustrative aerial of an existing campus, not the proposed Gardner site.
Read more
The full project page covers what we know — and what's still missing.
Specifics on power, water, generators, construction, and the documents residents are still waiting for.
This raises real health concerns for our community.
This isn't a warehouse, it's a long-term health risk for our community.
💧 Water
Cooling at this scale needs enormous water and chemistry. “Closed-loop” can be revised after approval and this could contaminate our water supply.
🏭 Power
Data centers use massive diesel generators that require mandatory testing. The exhaust contains particulates and pollutants that are harmful to our health.
🔈 Sound
Cooling gear adds a low, constant hum 24/7/365. Chronic noise is a documented health stressor; kids take the hit early in sleep, focus, and daily stress.
📋 Zoning precedent
Once land is zoned heavy industrial, the neighboring land is an easier “yes,” and the whole area can shift towards industrial.
🌡 Waste heat
Data centers give off enormous waste heat from cooling all that equipment compared to a typical building. That heat can be felt across roughly a six-mile radius around a site this scale.
⚡ Our grid & your bill
Data centers pull massive amounts of power from the grid and have a reputation for not paying their fair share of upgrades, leaving nearby households to foot the bill when rates go up.
Take Action Now
You can shape this decision before the vote.
Sign the petition, reach the people who vote, and show up where public comment becomes part of the official record.
