Why Monterey Park Is Voting to Ban Data Centers

On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, voters in Monterey Park, California will decide whether to permanently ban data centers from their city. If they say yes, Monterey Park would be the first city in the United States to do so.

Data centers are the massive buildings that store the computers and servers that power the internet, cloud services, and artificial intelligence. They use enormous amounts of electricity and run 24 hours a day. Monterey Park residents have been pushing back against proposed data center projects in their neighborhoods, arguing they don't belong in a densely populated area with homes and families.

The city council voted unanimously to put this measure—called Measure NDC—on the ballot. The council had already put temporary blocks on data center construction earlier this year. Now they want to make it permanent.

How This Came About

The city started blocking new data centers in March 2026. At the same time, the city council decided to pursue a permanent ban. They directed lawyers to defend the city against legal challenges and asked for a formal ban to be written up and voted on.

This measure would change the city's land use rules, which voters approved back in 2020. Those original rules set up guidelines for what kinds of buildings could go where. Measure NDC would add data centers to the list of things that are simply not allowed anywhere in Monterey Park.

A Bigger Picture

The fight in Monterey Park is part of a larger struggle in Los Angeles County. Nearby cities like Vernon and City of Industry are also dealing with proposals to build data centers. Residents in these areas see data centers as industrial operations that shouldn't be in neighborhoods where people live.

You can see bilingual signs—in English and Chinese—throughout Monterey Park opposing the data centers. This reflects how the city's residents organized themselves. The Monterey Park City Council officially supports a yes vote on Measure NDC.

One company, HMC StratCap, had been planning to build a data center in the area. According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, the company said it would look at other types of projects instead and wouldn't spend money fighting the ban.

What the Measure Would Do

If voters approve Measure NDC, data centers would be prohibited across the entire city, no matter what zone an area is in. The rule would work like an overlay—imagine it as a blanket that covers all neighborhoods and says "no data centers here," separate from all the other zoning rules.

The ban would apply to all types of data centers: the enormous facilities that power cloud services like Amazon and Google, as well as smaller computer server operations. Once approved, it would take effect immediately.

Why This Matters Now

Data centers are becoming a bigger deal because artificial intelligence and cloud computing are growing so fast. They demand huge amounts of computing power, which means demand for data centers is climbing. But most cities' zoning laws were written before anyone was thinking about data centers, so those laws don't really address them.

Data centers are different from regular factories or offices. They need massive amounts of electricity. They don't create very many jobs—mostly they just need machines humming away. And they're on all the time, every single day.

The broader context here is that many communities have faced this same puzzle when confronted with a new kind of industry that doesn't fit existing rules. In the 1980s, municipalities grappled with where to put nuclear waste storage. Faced with something unfamiliar and scary, many chose to ban it outright rather than figure out strict rules to manage it.

What Happens Next

The election is being run by the Los Angeles County Registrar along with the statewide primary election happening the same day. Because so many people will be voting anyway on state issues, turnout for the local Monterey Park measure will likely be higher than it would be in a standalone local election. That could affect how it turns out.

The measure only needs a simple majority to pass. Results should come in the same day as voting because of how the election is administered.

If Monterey Park votes yes, other cities will probably watch closely. It could encourage more communities to try similar bans. At the same time, a yes vote could trigger legal battles—companies or industry groups might argue that a local city can't block something that's important for interstate commerce or that federal rules about telecommunications should take priority over local zoning.

The outcome in Monterey Park will likely shape how other communities approach this question: Can a city say no to data centers if its residents don't want them, or do decisions about where critical internet infrastructure goes belong at the state or federal level?