Voters in Monterey Park, California, approved Measure NDC to permanently ban the construction of data centers within the city [1].
The decision reflects a growing local tension between the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure and the preservation of residential quality of life. By blocking these facilities, residents aim to protect their neighborhoods from the industrial scale of modern computing hubs.
The vote took place on April 1, 2026 [1]. Local residents pushed for the measure to prevent power-hungry data centers from being established in their community [2, 4]. The move comes as tech companies seek more land and energy to support the growing demands of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Data centers often require massive amounts of electricity and water for cooling, which can strain local grids and resources. Residents said such facilities would be incompatible with the residential nature of their neighborhoods [2, 4].
Measure NDC establishes a permanent restriction on the building of these centers in Monterey Park [1, 2, 3]. This prevents future city councils or developers from reversing the decision through standard zoning changes. The measure ensures that the land remains available for other uses that residents deem more appropriate for their city [1, 3].
While the tech industry often highlights the economic benefits of data center construction, the voters of Monterey Park prioritized the environmental and social impact on their immediate surroundings [2, 4]. The outcome marks a definitive rejection of industrial tech expansion in this specific U.S. enclave [1, 3].
“Voters in Monterey Park, California, approved Measure NDC to permanently ban the construction of data centers within the city.”
This vote signals a rising trend of 'tech NIMBYism' where local communities exercise zoning power to block the physical infrastructure required for the AI boom. As data centers demand unprecedented levels of power and water, municipalities may increasingly turn to permanent ballot measures to ensure these industrial sites are kept away from residential zones, potentially forcing tech companies to seek land in more remote or industrial-heavy regions.
