A proposed Google data center near Sand Springs moved one step closer to approval Tuesday night after a city commission voted 6-1 to recommend rezoning more than 800 acres in Osage County.
The lone vote against the rezoning came from commissioner Harold Neal, who said the land should remain agricultural.
“People want to keep their farmland agricultural and we have other areas,” Neal said after the meeting. “We got commercial areas, we can put it and nobody would hesitate about it being there.”
The vote followed more than three hours of discussion at Charles Page High School, where residents packed the meeting to weigh in on the initiative, known as Project Spring. The proposal would change the land’s zoning from agricultural to industrial, a designation that allows manufacturing, processing and packaging uses.
Google and the land’s developer, White Rose Partners, are seeking the zoning change to build the data center. Opponents raised concerns about the city’s 2030 land use master plan, which lists agricultural land as “inappropriate” for industrial rezoning. At a recent public meeting, Sand Springs Mayor Jim Spoon described the master plan as “a living document” that evolves over time — a comment that drew audible laughter from some residents in attendance.
The land was annexed into Sand Springs and is currently the subject of civil litigation from nearby residents who live outside city limits and cannot vote in municipal elections. Planning Commission Chairman Paul Shindel addressed that concern during the meeting, saying residents could choose to annex into the city if they want a vote.
“They can annex themselves into the city and have a vote,” Shindel said. “If they’re not in the city limits, they’re in the county, they don’t have a vote on what happens in the city.”
City leaders and Google representatives emphasized the project’s potential economic impact. At a public meeting last week, City Manager Mike Carter said the development could generate more than $100 million over 25 years through a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement.
Under a PILOT, the developer would not pay traditional property taxes but would instead make direct payments to local governments and school districts. Sand Springs Superintendent Sherry Durkee said the district’s building fund could receive at least $1.1 million annually if the project moves forward.
Google’s head of data center public affairs, Kate Franko, did not provide specific dollar amounts Tuesday night but said the company is finalizing agreements with the city of Sand Springs, Osage County, Sand Springs Public Schools and Tulsa Tech. She said the project is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for local entities over time.
The Planning Commission’s recommendation now goes to the Sand Springs City Council, which is expected to vote on Project Spring next week.
