Every time Alexandra walks out of her front door on Main Street in Santa Clara, she is jolted by the sight of one of the City’s newest data centers. The looming six-story building with more than 472,000 sq. ft. for data storage and 87,000 sq. ft. more for office space sits right on the edge of an industrial zone, less than 150 yards from the front door of her one-story single-family home.
“You could see the foothills from here and you could see the airplanes taking off. You could see everything. So, you could see the snow on the hill, on Mt. Hamilton, when it was up there,” said Alexandra. “But not anymore. Now we just see that.”
This was not part of the deal for Alexandra and her family. When she and her husband moved into the home in 2012, the data center wasn’t even in the planning stages. When the public meeting to discuss the proposed development came up, they weren’t invited.
“I know they had a public hearing, but apparently they only let everybody on that side of the street know that was being built behind them. Not that it was in front of us. So, my husband found out from one of our neighbors,” said Alexandra.
It turns out Alexandra lives just outside of the 300-foot radius required for meeting notification. In fact, just about every home on the other side of the two-lane Main Street is outside of that radius.
George also lives on the other side of Main Street and has lived there for 19 years, most of his life. For him, the building makes him uncomfortable.
“It feels like something really artificial being brought up into a place you grew up in, basically, like something that’s just not supposed to be there,” said George.
He’s also worried about what it means for him and his family and whether a building like that will mean his rent will rise again soon.
The people who live on the side of Main Street who were notified about the construction don’t have to look at the building every time they walk out of their front doors, so most say it doesn’t bother them. However, one homeowner did say this past summer felt hotter, as if the sun reflecting off the building was reflecting into her home.
It’s not clear if this is what the City envisioned when the project was approved by a unanimous vote of the Council on Nov. 9, 2021. During the meeting, City staff informed the Council of the concerns about the south boundary of the property, the side closest to Main Street.
Santa Clara council members were assured that the developer “softened” the elevation of the building and set it closer to the north side of the property to ease the neighborhood impact. City staff also downplayed how much of the data center would be seen from the neighborhood, saying it could be “potentially viewable from the backyards of residences on Main Street.”
For Alexandra, it’s more than that.
“It’s an eyesore,” said Alexandra.
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