Why Monterey Park Is Voting to Ban Data Centers—and What It Means

On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, residents of Monterey Park, California, cast ballots on Measure NDC. If approved, it would make their city the first in the United States to permanently ban data centers outright. The vote, held alongside California's statewide primary election, ends months of debate at city council meetings over whether these massive computing facilities belong in densely populated neighborhoods.

The measure would change the city's zoning rules to explicitly prohibit data centers everywhere within city limits, regardless of the neighborhood's current zoning category. The city council voted unanimously in March to put the measure on the ballot, building on temporary restrictions they had already imposed earlier in the year.

How This Came About

The push to ban data centers started in March when the Monterey Park City Council unanimously voted to extend a temporary moratorium—a pause on new approvals—that had already been in place. At that same meeting on March 4, 2026, council members asked the city attorney to consider a permanent ban and committed to voting on it in April.

The proposed measure would modify zoning rules that voters had already approved in 2020 through an ordinance that set basic development standards for the city. Measure NDC would use that same framework but add an explicit ban on data centers of any size.

The Bigger Picture

Monterey Park's push isn't happening in isolation. According to the Los Angeles Times, residents in nearby Vernon and City of Industry are fighting their own proposed data center projects. It suggests a coordinated effort by communities unhappy about having these facilities in their neighborhoods.

Opposition has been grassroots and visible. Bilingual signs in English and Chinese have appeared throughout Monterey Park—a sign of how the campaign reflects the city's diverse population. The city council itself has endorsed voting yes on Measure NDC. Interestingly, HMC StratCap, a company that had been planning a data center in the area, decided to pursue other projects instead rather than fight the measure, according to the Times.

How the Ban Would Work

If Measure NDC passes, data center restrictions would be written directly into the city's municipal code. This makes the ban harder to work around than a simple zoning change, which could theoretically be amended later. The measure covers all types of data centers—from the massive facilities that power cloud services like Amazon or Google, down to smaller installations that store and process data locally.

Think of it like an overlay—an extra layer of rules applied on top of existing zoning categories. Other cities use this approach for protecting wetlands or historic districts. Here, Monterey Park would apply it to data centers specifically.

Why This Matters Right Now

Data centers are becoming increasingly contentious because of artificial intelligence. AI systems require enormous amounts of computing power, which drives demand for new data centers across the country. Traditional zoning rules were designed for factories, warehouses, and offices—not facilities that run 24/7, consume massive amounts of electricity, and employ very few people. Cities and planners are struggling to fit data centers into existing categories.

This kind of conflict has happened before. In the 1980s, when communities faced nuclear waste storage proposals, many simply banned them outright rather than trying to regulate where they could go. Monterey Park is doing something similar: saying no to an infrastructure that the existing rulebook doesn't quite fit.

That said, a successful ban here could set off a chain reaction. If Measure NDC passes, other cities facing data center proposals will likely try the same approach. But it could also invite legal challenges—developers and potentially state or federal authorities might argue that a complete ban infringes on interstate commerce or conflicts with national telecommunications policy. How Monterey Park writes and defends its rules could become a template—or a cautionary tale—for other communities.

What Happens Next

The vote is consolidated with California's statewide primary, which means higher turnout than a typical local election. This could work in either direction: more voters overall, but not necessarily voters focused on zoning questions. The measure needs just a simple majority to pass. If it does, the ban takes effect immediately after election results are certified.

Results should be available quickly, within hours of the polls closing. After months of contentious local debate, Monterey Park will have a clear answer—and the nation will be watching to see what happens next.