SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — Sand Springs Planning Commission voted in its Jan. 27 special meeting to recommend approval of rezoning for a potential Google hyperscale data center.
Just as before, the vast majority of residents appealed to the planning commission to deny rezoning from agricultural use to industrial light.
- Previous coverage>>> 'Not listening to the people'| Anger ahead of Sand Springs data center vote
The Project Spring site sits on 826 acres along Highway 97 north of town, which was already annexed by City of Sand Springs in 2025.
"We've not heard from anyone from the design team about this conservation of easement," Michael Patton of Legacy Land Trust Leadership told the commission. "I assume they can work around this, but your rezoning without the knowledge of this easement I believe is materially and significantly a mistake."
The last appeal from White Rose Partners and Google reps insisted all concerns have been debunked or fixed, adding they would plan to begin construction early 2027 on an air-cooled campus that would not pass energy costs to neighbors.
"These data centers do have significant economic benefits and real impacts, not just at the data center for those employees or for Google, but for the broader regional economy here," Google data centers public affairs specialist Kate Franko told the commission.
WATCH: Planning commission OKs Sand Springs data center, city council to vote Feb. 3
Yells of "Shame!" were heard from members of the audience after the votes to recommend approval. Harold Neal was the lone dissenting vote.
Sand Springs City Council will hold a special meeting next Tuesday, Feb. 3 for a final vote on rezoning for the data center. The meeting will again be held inside the Charles Page High School cafeteria.
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