SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — A data center is on the way to Sand Springs.
During its special Feb. 3 meeting, the city council approved a rezoning request, for a piece of land, more than 800 acres large, to clear the way for the center. Councilor Beau Wilson was the only “no” vote.
WATCH: APPROVED: Sand Springs council clears way for data center
JT Toliver, representing Google, spoke at the meeting.
“Google invests billions of dollars to get data centers up and running. And every year in operations we expend millions and millions. These systems are not static or stable. They’re dynamic,” Toliver said.
The plans are called ‘Project Spring’ — a collaboration between Google and White Rose Partners.
A couple residents spoke in favor of the project, including James Charles.
“It’s exciting to me. I look at what we could do with our city. I look at our fire and our police. And I think about how we can get competitive salaries with other communities that are near us,” Charles said, “I think about parks and roads and what our city could do with this funding.”
Dozens of other residents filled the Charles Page High School cafeteria — the vast majority of them voicing their opposition to Project Spring.
“We’re here, not just about a data center, but we’re here about what Charlie said. It was not done right. It was not done right from the very beginning,” Kyle Schmidt said.
Though it was all for naught, as the Sand Springs City Council voted to approve the rezoning request.
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A city staffer told the council any issues between Land Legacy and the original landowner would need to be decided in a civil case, outside the chambers of City Hall.
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