Thanks to Lookout Eugene-Springfield for the heads up about an unidentified client asking the city of Eugene if the Hynix building can be used as a data center. I have been reading about the communities across the country that have refused to let data centers suck up their water and electricity, including La Pine in central Oregon.

The article stated that the Hynix property’s zoning is “designed for firms that will help achieve economic diversification objectives” and that “the activities of such firms do not generate offensive external impacts and usually do not tolerate substantial noise, pollution, or vibration from surrounding uses.”

I suspect this code was written well before the existence of data centers. The number and description of “offensive external impacts” needs to be updated to have water and power consumption included.

Jean Cottel
Eugene