GLENDALE, AZ — Glendale’s Planning and Zoning Commission is recommending approval of Project Eagle (formerly Baccara), a proposed data center and natural gas power facility on 160 acres near Luke Air Force Base, sending the controversial project to the City Council for a final decision.
The commission first voted down a motion to deny the rezoning request, then approved a motion to recommend approval with the 11 conditions listed in the city staff report. Commissioner Hooper voted no on both motions, citing concerns about the state’s water cuts.
The project includes three one-story data center buildings totaling a little over a million square feet, a natural gas power plant known as Project Baccara, and an APS substation. The developer’s attorney says the project represents a more than $10 billion investment and could begin construction this year, with a build-out of about five years.
Water use becomes a major question
Before the public hearing, a commissioner asked why the packet included no water availability study, noting that residents are being asked to cut back on water use.
City staff said the site falls within EPCOR’s water and sewer service area and that EPCOR will remain the provider after the property is annexed into Glendale. The developer’s attorney said the water supply, or water credits, is still being finalized. He also said the project’s closed-loop cooling system would use about 25% of the water historically used on the property when it was farmland.
Neighbors push back
Residents from Glendale, Surprise and nearby unincorporated areas packed the hearing. Opponents say they have gathered about 11,000 signatures against the project. The nearest homes are roughly four-tenths of a mile from the closest data center building, according to a Project Baccara representative.
Speakers raised concerns about noise, air quality, the plant’s 18 gas turbines, fuel storage, fire protection and the project’s proximity to Luke. A June 30 letter from the base says the development is compatible only if specific conditions are met, including those addressing pilot visibility, air quality and fire and explosion risk.
Several residents asked the commission to require wider setbacks, earthen berms, stronger landscaping and written confirmation that the project meets Luke’s conditions. Some called for a pause so the city could study the plan further.
The developer’s attorney said the project will meet Luke’s requirements and that the design includes walls, landscaping and setbacks that address many of the concerns. He said the site will store 450,000 gallons of propane as a backup fuel in underground tanks and will not store natural gas, which arrives by pipeline.
A narrower role for commissioners
Vice Chair Cole, who made the motion to approve, said the commission’s job is to decide whether the project meets the law, the general plan and the city’s zoning rules, not to go with emotion. Several commissioners said they hoped the council would add stronger stipulations before a final vote.
The commission’s recommendation is not final. The City Council is expected to vote on the project at its Oct. 27 meeting.
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