Urging City Council to Develop an AI Data Center Moratorium for San Leandro

I attended the Planning Commission/Board of Zoning Adjustments meeting on September 3, where a variance was being considered related to the construction of a new +/- 250,000 square foot warehouse facility near the Floresta Gardens neighborhood. I support the economic growth and business development of San Leandro, and I welcome new union jobs for construction, and I have concerns about the rapid pace of development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centers across the United States. Oftentimes when we see a boom in new industries, cities can rush to sign on for deals which are not advantageous to their residents. I want to protect San Leandro from such deals.

That’s why today I am urging the City Council to develop and pass a temporary AI Data Center Moratorium for San Leandro. This measure will allow city staff to examine and review land use plans, and for the Planning Commission to propose explicit zoning rules, rather than being subject to reviewing these complex and rapid-moving projects on a case-by-case basis. This moratorium should consider input from the public and from local businesses. The goal here isn’t to stop businesses from developing in San Leandro. Rather, it’s to make sure we make informed decisions which protect the interests of the citizens of San Leandro.

Finally, I want to commend the citizens and union representatives who voiced their opinions on the project, its impact upon San Leandro, and the potential for skilled labor job creation. I also want to thank the Commission for a thorough hearing- posing tough questions to the developer, and inserting a clear statement into the approval of the project highlighting additional steps which would be necessary should the scope of the project change from a warehouse to a proposed AI Data Center.

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