HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-21 Noel Bobilin Testimony
From: Dris Bobilin
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Subject: Bill 170 Testimony
Date: Monday, September 21, 2026 12:43:17 PM
Aloha Leeward Planning Commission members:
I understand you will be addressing Bill 170 at this week's meeting. I support the
intent of Bill 170 because it should effectively ban data centers but it needs to be
amended.
Bill 170's current language uses subjective phrases like "industrial-scale operation"
and "beyond that typically accessory or incidental to office, commercial, or public
institutional uses." Those phrases don't set a clear line, and a well-resourced
developer's attorney can argue around them either way. I'm asking the Commission
to recommend a clear, objective definition of "data center," distinct from the county's
existing
"data processing facility" definition.
Support creating a definition of Data Centers that will help differentiate it from Data
Processing Centers. Perhaps the definition needs to be something like this: Data
center' means a facility, or two or more facilities on contiguous or adjacent parcels
under common ownership or control, whose primary purpose is housing, operating, or
co-locating computer servers and associated cooling, power, and support
infrastructure, and whose combined electrical demand at full build-out meets or
exceeds 5 megawatts.
I'm also asking the Commission to reject the Planning Department's recommendation
to add smaller data centers as a permitted use. That change would open a legal
pathway for data centers here rather than close one, with no discretionary review of
grid impact, water, noise, or anything else.
Mahalo for your time and attention to the matter which is so important for our
community. We have an opportunity to be a role model for higher levels of
government.
Sincerely,
Noel Bobilin
Mountain View