Aric Sleeper here, once again contemplating the spectre of AI and massive, resource-consuming data centers on the Central Coast and elsewhere in the world.
In step with other governing bodies in Monterey County, such as the Marina City Council, which unanimously approved a 45-day moratorium on data center permits on Sept. 15, the Seaside City Council will hold a public hearing tonight, Oct. 15, to consider an urgency ordinance that would establish a 45-day moratorium on the processing and approval of new data center land use applications, and direct city staff to study and develop appropriate regulations for future consideration.
The urgency ordinance led me to think that an application for one of the facilities had been submitted to the city’s planning department, but Seaside City Manager Greg McDanel says that, like Marina, the City of Seaside is simply getting ahead of the curve.
“The City has no current applications or discussions with developers regarding data centers,” McDanel says. “This is a proactive effort to review and update our zoning code so appropriate regulations are in place before any applications are submitted.”
The ordinance would temporarily prohibit establishment of new data center uses in all of the city’s zoning districts, which would also include the conversion of existing buildings, and suspend related application processing and approvals, according to a staff report. However, “Ordinary computers and server rooms incidental to another lawful principal use are excluded.”
If the Council votes to approve the urgency ordinance and establish the moratorium, which would expire on Nov. 29, Seaside city staff would then “evaluate appropriate locations, water and energy demand, infrastructure capacity and costs, noise, backup generation and air quality, emergency response, and compatibility with surrounding uses,” the report states. “This work would inform potential zoning and development standards for future Council consideration.”
All the while, residents of Seaside and other jurisdictions in California and across the country are receiving surveys from the company Clear Insights, asking respondents questions like, “What do you think is the most compelling reason to construct a data center?” and “Is there anything else a company building a data center could say or do that would make you more comfortable with it?”
The surveys could be nothing, but they could also be a harbinger of a Dickian future (think Autofac), where resources like water and power become increasingly scarce and expensive for humans and a priority for machines, churning out AI slop, trolling bots and poorly-written prose. Either way, cities that put restrictions in place early like Marina and potentially Seaside will be prepared for it.