Pittsburg Council Tees Up 45-Day Data Center Pause Amid Fierce Opposition

Pittsburg's fight over the AVAIO data center reached a new pitch Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, as dozens of residents spent hours demanding a ban while the council weighed a narrower pause. The council voted 4-0, with Mayor Dionne Adams recused, to bring a 45-day moratorium on future data center development to a special meeting. That pause would leave the already-approved Phase 1 untouched, which is the gap opponents say matters most.

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• 45-day data center moratorium heads to special meeting after a 4-0 vote, with Phase 1 excluded.
• Residents demand 90 days, a Phase 1 breach or an outright ban, citing health, noise and outreach failures.
• City manager defends a hand-picked, 19-member advisory committee that meets privately.
• Council awards Buchanan Park storm drain repair after a sinkhole; the low bid was $333,625 against a $670,000 budget.
• SB 580 discussion item approved as speakers press for immigrant data protections before Jan. 1.

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A Pause That Skips Phase 1

Why it matters: Phase 1 of the AVAIO project is about 350,000 square feet and up to 99 megawatts. It is already entitled with a vested tentative map. Any moratorium covers only what comes next.

Where things stand: Mayor Adams stepped away before the item began. "I will not participate in the item, and Vice Mayor Lopez will facilitate the next item," said Mayor Adams. Vice Mayor Angelica Lopez presided.

City Manager Darin Gale said no other parcels in the city allow data centers. He said the city is negotiating power supply for the project through Pittsburg Power Company, the city-run utility entity.

Councilmember Juan Banales then laid out a four-step plan:

• A moratorium on Phases 2 and 3 and on any new proposals.
• Phase 1 power agreements returning to the council.
• Recommendations from the advisory committee.
• A citywide policy framework.

"So I propose that this week at a special meeting, council consider a 45-day moratorium on future data center development in Pittsburg," said Councilmember Banales. "It does not affect Phase 1, which again is already approved."

The basics: The 45-day length matches the state-law limit for an initial urgency ordinance. Cities use these ordinances to freeze new land-use approvals while they write permanent rules.

Councilmember Jelani Killings backed the plan and pointed to the city's legal position on Phase 1. He said "the project is fully entitled. And there are legal obligations." He added: "I do support in terms of a 45-day moratorium to be able to continue to allow the process to unfold."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The motion directs staff to agendize the moratorium. It does not adopt one. The vote was For: 4, Against: 0, Recused: 1 (Mayor Adams). Individual votes were not announced. If the moratorium is adopted, AVAIO's future phases and any rival developers would be frozen. Phase 1 negotiations would continue.

What's next: A special meeting to consider the moratorium, this week if possible.

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Inside the Closed-Door Advisory Committee

Where things stand: City Manager Gale said he selected the Data Center Advisory Committee himself. "19 members agreed to participate," he said. Through Oct. 14, the committee had met three times:

• A site tour.
• A presentation on CEQA mitigation measures.
• A presentation from AVAIO.

The basics: CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act, requires environmental review of major projects. It also requires steps to reduce, or "mitigate," their impacts.

More committee meetings are planned. Members will sign off on a final report. "I will present that back to the City Council once that's completed," said Gale.

Gale defended the closed format. "Meetings are held privately to allow members to speak freely without any external pressure or interruptions," he said.

The other side: Residents criticized how members were chosen, the private meetings, the lack of an application process and AVAIO's absence from public forums. One public commenter called the committee "yes-men and women." The same speaker argued that an earlier zone change had masked a data center.

Why it matters: The committee's recommendations are one of the four steps in Councilmember Banales' plan. A body that meets out of public view will help shape both the Phase 1 negotiations and future citywide policy.

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Residents Turn Out to Stop the Data Center

Why it matters: The opposition was large, organized and loud. The artifact notes a student walkout, threats tied to election season, and chants that forced the council into a recess. That signals real political risk for incumbents and legal-risk worries for City Hall.

Where things stand: Speakers overwhelmingly opposed the project. Their concerns included:

• Noise and fumes from diesel generators.
• Water use.
• Whether the CEQA review is valid.
• Unexploded ordnance on the site.
• Weak outreach to Rancho Medanos families and Spanish speakers.

Several cited a 28,000-signature petition and campaign contributions. Some raised alleged conflicts of interest tied to Mayor Adams' employment at PG&E. The recap says the mayor cited an FPPC complaint when she recused.

One public commenter said emails to the council went unanswered. That speaker pointed to a diesel generator incident at a data center in Sterling, Virginia. Another argued that the Surplus Land Act process left residents no time to respond, and framed the project as an environmental justice issue. The Surplus Land Act is the state law governing how cities sell public land.

The other side: The sharpest dividing line was the moratorium's length and scope. One speaker said 45 days is not enough because the land has already been sold, and backed 90 days. Another demanded at least 90 days and denounced the hand-picked committee. Others pushed for a Phase 1 breach of contract or a full ban. Some proposed alternative uses for the land, such as a recreation center or a hospital.

A more measured caller thanked the council for the moratorium. That speaker urged 90 days, an ordinance modeled on San Jose's framework, and a hold on Phase 1-related contract negotiations.

Coachella Mayor Frank Figueroa, speaking personally, said his city paused a data center agreement and banned large data centers after residents spoke up. He urged Pittsburg's council to listen.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The council's 45-day plan falls well short of what most speakers asked for. Residents near the site and Spanish-speaking households who say they were never notified remain outside the city's formal process. Meanwhile, AVAIO keeps its Phase 1 entitlement.

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Sinkhole Prompts Buchanan Park Pipe Replacement

The basics: A spring sinkhole exposed failing storm drain pipes from the 1980s and 1990s under Buchanan Park. The pipes are dual 18-inch lines running about 500 feet.

Where things stand: Public Works and City Engineer John Samuelson said "23 bids were received." Bids ranged from $333,625 to about $724,000, against a $670,000 budget. Staff expect to spend about $428,000, including a 10% contingency. Relining the pipes was not feasible. "The only true repair would be to remove and replace them," said Samuelson.

Construction would run from November through January 2027, with some rainy-season risk. Unspent funds would return to the general fund.

The other side: One public commenter urged the city to restore a wetland rather than simply replace pipe. Another asked for an outside arborist to review tree removals near the memorial grove. Speakers also called for tree replacement and more public notice.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The council adopted the resolution accepting the plans and awarding Project 2705. The tally was not announced. Park users get a fix aimed at preventing more sinkholes. Tree advocates did not get a commitment to an independent review.

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Victim Interview Room Opens, Data Questions Follow

Where things stand: The police chief showed photos of a "soft" interview room on the department's second floor. A soft interview room is a calmer, less clinical space for questioning victims. A nonprofit foundation furnished it, and the Corporation Yard painted it. The room is reserved solely for victims of sexual assault and other violent crimes. Move-in is set for the end of October. The chief credited an officer with the project.

Council members praised the timing during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. "I'm really proud of this project," said Vice Mayor Lopez, who cited the trauma child victims face.

The other side: Speakers supported the room for children but raised several questions:

• How interviews are recorded.
• How data is secured and how long it is kept.
• Whether victims can have recordings deleted.
• Whether the software vendor Peregrine can access interview data.

One public commenter warned that recordings shared through Peregrine could reach federal agents and endanger undocumented victims.

What's next: Mayor Adams said staff would look at addressing the technology questions.

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SB 580 Heads to a Future Agenda

Why it matters: Commenters said the city must adopt either the state attorney general's model policy or its own by Jan. 1 under SB 580, a state law on sharing immigration-related information.

Where things stand: Speakers asked for a community forum and an enforceable ordinance rather than just a policy. They wanted the rules to cover contractors such as Peregrine. One speaker urged the city to remove Flock license-plate cameras and other surveillance cameras, citing privacy.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Vice Mayor Lopez moved to place an SB 580 discussion item on a future agenda. The motion passed; the tally was not announced. Immigrant families and privacy advocates now have a public venue before the Jan. 1 deadline.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar approved on a motion by Councilmember Killings. Speakers objected that items 6-8 did not make clear which entity, such as Pittsburg Power Company, was voting. They also questioned tree replacement under item 7 and a consulting cost of about $107,534 under item 8. The city clerk said agendas label each body.
• Budget pressure: One public commenter cited projected $5 million and $7 million deficits, urged spending restraint and asked the city treasurer to explain her role.
• Small-business friction: The owner of Pittsburg Performing Arts Academy said new subsidized city ballet classes at the Marina Center undercut her studio, and that no one reached out to local businesses first.
• Zoning update: Council committee reports said an update to the zoning code to match the general plan is expected before the council in early 2027, with public workshops first.
• Rental rules: A speaker asked when the public can weigh in on rewrites of the short-term rental and rental inspection ordinances.

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Looking Ahead

Watch for a special meeting on the 45-day moratorium, the advisory committee's final report and an SB 580 discussion before the Jan. 1 deadline.