The City of Gilroy approved the project through Community Development Director Sharon Goei rather than a city council vote, following a multi-year environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. AWS purchased the land in 2020 for approximately $31.28 million, with plans first disclosed publicly in 2022. The permitting process proceeded largely without public attention until construction became visible. More than 1,000 residents have signed a petition opposing the project, citing concerns about its industrial scale and power requirements that only recently became apparent to the community.
Attorneys should monitor this project as a test case in how large-scale AI and cloud infrastructure facilities navigate local land-use approval processes. The lack of a public vote on a major industrial project—despite its size and community impact—raises questions about administrative discretion in California land-use decisions and may invite legal challenges on CEQA compliance or procedural grounds. The visible construction phase and organized opposition create a window for residents or advocacy groups to pursue administrative remedies or litigation if they believe the approval process was deficient.