What is happening?

A high-intensity mixed-use project is proposed for the Phillip Road Site. The requested General Plan amendment and contentious rezoning request would allow industrial / “innovation” uses, including a potential data center on land currently zoned as Public/Quasi-Public. Private industrial developer’s DEIR evaluates some data-center-related infrastructure demands but regional Placer-wide impact is not fully considered.

Why it’s a problem?

The proposed private development of Roseville’s Phillip Road Site raises land-use and environmental questions involving water quality, water demand, traffic, air quality, wildlife habitat, infrastructure needs, and compatibility with the surrounding Reason Farms area.

DEIR models a 40 MW data center but does not analyze full impacts.

Missing Analyses:

• Energy load and grid stress

• Water consumption under peak cooling

• Diesel generator emissions

• Noise from cooling towers

• Battery storage and hazardous materials
  
  

Conflicts With General Plan 2035

Issue: Reason Farms is designated for flood control, open space, and habitat. Conflicts:

• Open Space Element

• Conservation Element

• Safety Element (flooding)

• Land Use Element (urban form)
  
  

Infrastructure Capacity Shortfalls

Issue: The DEIR identifies significant and unavoidable impacts.

Constraints:

• Traffic congestion

• Wastewater capacity

• Electrical load (tens of megawatts)
  
  

Inadequate Alternatives Analysis

Issue: Alternatives do not include open‑space preservation or alternative sites.

Legal Requirement: CEQA mandates a reasonable range of alternatives.

Missing Cumulative Impact Analysis

Issue: Regional data center growth is not analyzed cumulatively.

Missing:

• Grid‑wide energy demand

• Regional water use

• Diesel generator emissions

• Combined noise impacts
  
  

Floodplain & Hydrology Risks

Issue: Reason Farms is a functional floodplain.

Concerns:

• Altered flood conveyance

• Downstream impacts

• 100‑year and 200‑year storm modeling
  
  

Spot Zoning / Arbitrary Decision‑Making

Issue: Request General Plan Amendment (GPA) appears to benefit a single developer and contradicts long‑standing land‑use designations.

Outcome: Amendments lacking a legitimate public purpose may be invalidated as spot zoning.