project introduction
In January of 2024, a private Australian developer, HMC StratCorp (the Applicant), with their subsidiary DigiCo REIT, proposed building a hyperscale data center. This is a facility housing computer servers to be used to train AI, among other uses, at 1977 Saturn Avenue in Monterey Park. The project would operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
On October 31, 2024, HMC submitted an Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for this data center. In response to some feedback received on December 2, 2024 from organizations like Advocates for the Environment and others, HMC submitted revised technical details with design enhancements on October 27, 2025. The IS/MND is a streamlined environmental review process that allows projects to move forward quickly, but only if all impacts are deemed "less than significant." For a facility of this scale, that conclusion deserves scrutiny.
The applicant's consultants prepared the IS/MND. They chose the assumptions, set the study boundaries, and selected the comparisons. Not surprisingly, they concluded their client's project poses no significant impacts. But "less than significant" is a legal threshold, not a measure of whether there are actual impacts or whether real people will be affected.
Thresholds are imperfect measures of experienced reality.
They are often arbitrary: Noise limits (54–56 dB) are set for regulatory convenience, not based on health research about sleep disruption or stress.
They may be outdated: Air quality thresholds don't always reflect current science on cumulative health effects.
Impacts below thresholds still cause harm: A continuous 50 dB hum 24/7 may comply with the law but still degrade quality of life.
"Mitigated" ≠ "Eliminated": Sound barriers reduce noise; they don't make it disappear. Biofiltration treats stormwater; it doesn't purify it.
project overview
what is being proposed
Location
1977 Saturn Avenue, Monterey Park, CA
Property/Lot Size
218,400 square feet (~4 football fields)
Peak Power Capacity
49.5–50 megawatts (MW)
Main Power Supplier
Grid service through SoCal Edison (SCE)
Backup Power
24 Tier 4 diesel generators
Cooling
23 rooftop chillers with a closed-loop water system
Timeline
Application submitted January 2024; hearings postponed indefinitely due to public pressure
estimated demand
Annual electricity use
~434 GWh/year
Equivalent to ~40,000 households
Annual water use
12 million gallons/year
Equivalent to ~120 households
Annual greenhouse gas emissions
77,034 metric tons CO₂e
2027 estimate; assumes SCE ⅔ grid carbon mixThe following figures come from the Initial Study (IS/MND) prepared by Kimley-Horn on behalf of the applicant. They are modeled estimates, not independently verified measurements.
Annual city tax revenue
~$5 million
~3% of total City revenue
Obtained from Century Urban Strategic Real Estate Advisory Services: 1977 Saturn Data Center Fiscal Revenue Analysis, August 12, 2025 [pages 333-347]
project timeline
June 2020
Monterey Park voters approve Measure JJ, designating Saturn Park for “Innovation / Technology.”
Existing zoning allows data processing, not explicitly data centers; heavy industrial uses remain prohibited.
April 2023
HMC contacts the City asking whether “data centers” qualify as allowed “data processing facilities.”
Assistant City Planner responds that they are equivalent.
September 2023
HMC seeks confirmation that no Development Agreement is required.
City Attorney provides no guarantees, but states one is not required, allowing HMC to proceed.
January 2024
HMC submits permit and design review applications for the data center.
April 2024
Planning Director flags that the proposed data center conflicts with Measure JJ, triggering internal reassessment of zoning.
May 2024
City forms SPARC to solicit community input on Saturn Park zoning.
Process signals an intent to amend zoning to accommodate data centers.
June 2024
City adopts a temporary moratorium on data centers.
HMC is granted an exception, allowing its project to continue.
July 29 – August 29, 2024
SPARC sessions are held.
Sessions include discussion of the Saturn Park data center despite City claims otherwise.
Outcome is a recommendation to pursue zoning amendments.
October 2024
City publishes a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) claiming no significant environmental impacts.
November 2024
City staff shift approach and require a Development Agreement, distinguishing data centers from data processing facilities.
City Attorney states no further environmental review is required if compliant.
December 2024 – September 2025
Nine-month gap with no publicly available documents released.
September 3, 2025
Public hearing adopts a Conditional Use Ordinance approving data centers at Saturn Park, contingent on a Development Agreement.
November 14, 2025
HMC requests a delay of the MND vote to December 3.
December 2, 2025
HMC sends an email pressuring City Council to approve the project, characterizing online criticism as “misinformation.”
December 3, 2025
HMC reverses course and requests a delay to January 21.
Monterey Park City Council grants the delay.
Monterey Park follows up by postponing the vote indefinitely to give HMC more time.