When Massive and Local Collide

Two months ago, the nearby village of DeForest was filled with yard signs. As best I could tell, they were unanimous in opposing plans for a $12 billion data center at the edge of the village. As in other communities resisting data centers, residents questioned potential effects on water supply and energy costs. Once built, the data center would occupy a vast tract of land but provide few local jobs. By late January or early February, the proposal appeared dead.

Other communities are resisting ICE plans to convert privately owned warehouses into immigrant detention facilities. No matter how residents regard immigration policy, they care about their quality of life and the strain on local resources. Federal facilities won’t bring local tax revenue. Municipal governments can’t bar ICE from moving in, but public pressure can deter the private warehouse owners from selling. This process has quashed plans for warehouse conversions in Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Ashland VA, and elsewhere.

I always used the term NIMBY with a degree of derision. “Not in my back yard” implied wanting the benefit without the nuisance, paved roads without any gravel pits. Now I’m starting to look at NIMBY differently. National and global changes can push us apart as though we have nothing in common. When those changes encroach on our home communities, though, local impact matters more than ideology. At least sometimes, backyard neighbors see shared interests without regard to party. This brings me hope.