COUNCIL REFERRAL MEMORANDUM
To: Hayward City Council
From: Mayor Salinas, Mayor Pro Tempore Syrop, Council Member Andrews Subject: Referral - Prohibition on Data Center Development Date: 8/12/2026
BACKGROUND:
There has been significant community outcry in response to the Planning Commission’s approval of the STACK SVY03A data center at Eden Landing in May, 2025. Despite the STACK data center’s approved plan to mitigate negative environmental impacts, resident concerns related to the project, and data centers in general, still persist and include: potential health and environmental risks, rising utility costs, and the over-consumption of natural resources (such as water and energy).
Additionally, there is continued developer interest in building new data centers larger than STACK SVY03A in Hayward according to PG&E.1
While the City has limited legal recourse to prevent the ongoing construction of the STACK data center, the City Council does have the ability to prevent any future data centers from entering Hayward. The purpose of this referral is to begin and expedite the creation of a formal prohibition on data centers in Hayward.
SUMMARY:
This referral requests that Council direct staff to:
1. Begin the process of updating our zoning code to prohibit the development of all future data centers in Hayward. The resulting legislation should be introduced and adopted before the end of this calendar year. Staff is encouraged to research similar moratoriums and prohibitions introduced in other jurisdictions2 to inform the City of Hayward’s approach.
2. Direct the Council Sustainability Committee to begin developing a report on the economic and environmental impacts of all existing data centers in Hayward, including those under construction (such as the STACK data center) once construction is complete, and present the Committee’s findings to the full Council and general public when the report is complete.
________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Mark Salinas George Syrop Angela Andrews Mayor Mayor Pro Tempore Council Member
REFERENCES:
12024 PG&E INVESTOR PRESENTATION (DATA CENTER INTEREST ON PGs. 20-21):
https://s21.q4cdn.com/673114418/files/doc_events/2024/06/1/2024-Investor-Update-Presentat ion_Final.pdf
2EXAMPLE OF DATA CENTER PROHIBITION PASSED IN CUDAHY, CA ON 8/4/2026 (PG. 47):
https://www.cityofcudahyca.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08042026-521