Monterey Park Voters Ban Data Centers — First California City to Do So
Monterey Park voters approved Measure NDC with more than 86 percent support, making it the first California city to ban data centers outright. The measure blocks data center development citywide and can only be reversed by another public vote.
The June 2, 2026 election results are preliminary — Los Angeles County has 30 days to certify every ballot. The ban takes effect 10 days after certification, expected in early July.
The vote followed months of opposition to a proposed data center that would have converted an industrial site in the city. Residents said they learned about the project late in the city review process, with limited public notice. The developer, HMC Capital/StratCap, withdrew the application before the election.
Mayor Elizabeth Yang said the city initially passed an ordinance blocking data centers, but officials put the issue on the ballot to make the ban permanent. “The next council could have come back and reversed it,” Yang said. “So this ballot measure is more permanent.”
Andrew Yip, co-founder of SGV Progressive Action, said organizers found out about the proposed data center in November and had only a few months to organize the campaign. He said the developer’s representatives approached him at a December city council meeting requesting private meetings, which he declined in favor of public forums.
The coalition organized a community teach-in that drew about 150 residents. Yip said nearly all attendees were local and most hadn’t heard about the project despite living near the proposed site.
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez described Measure NDC as the first citizen-approved data center ban in the United States.
The Breakdown
- Measure NDC amends Monterey Park’s General Plan to prohibit data center facilities citywide.
- The ban can only be changed by a future public vote — a city council cannot reverse it on its own.
- The measure required a simple majority to pass and received 86 percent support as of June 4, 2026.
- Results are preliminary until LA County completes its 30-day canvass period; certification is expected in early July.
- The ban takes effect 10 days after certification.
What This Means for You
Monterey Park voters now control whether data centers can be built in the city — the city council cannot approve one without putting the question back to voters. Organizers raised concerns about noise, traffic, and utility costs during the campaign. If you live in another San Gabriel Valley city facing a similar proposal, this vote is the template: organize early, demand public forums, and get the question on the ballot if your council won’t act.
What to Watch
A regional coalition called No Data Centers San Gabriel Valley is already pushing similar efforts in other cities. The coalition cited a proposed data center at the Puente Hills Mall site in the City of Industry and noted that Coachella recently approved a 45-day moratorium on data centers and terminated an agreement with a developer.
LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis has advanced a study of data center impacts and the possibility of a moratorium in unincorporated areas. Three virtual community meetings are scheduled as part of that process — organizers said those hearings will be the next battleground.
The coalition has framed data centers as a cross-jurisdictional issue. The City of Industry borders more than a dozen communities whose residents have no say in what the city can build or do, according to Yip. Those residents live with the impacts — but they don’t get a vote on the project.
