Allies of TSN say Stream offered piecemeal responses, not the whole story of proposed data center

Editor:

On February 2, Stream US Data Centers hosted an “Open House – Community Information Session” at the Town of Alabama Fire Hall regarding the massive data center complex they are applying to build at WNY STAMP in Alabama. Here are our takeaways.

1) The event was structured so that all conversations between Stream employees and members of the public happened one on one or in small groups. The room was set up like a science fair, with numerous display boards arranged in a large circle. After signing in, members of the public were encouraged to walk around looking at the displays and talking with the specific Stream employees at each of the displays. Many glossy informational handouts were available to take home.

2) There was no large group presentation by Stream and no opportunity for members of the public to ask their questions in front of the whole group.

3) The event was well attended (about 75 people total over the course of two hours) and, from our observations and the conversations we overheard, most people seemed to be opposed to the proposed data center or to have significant concerns. This perception is reflected in the media coverage, see “Most attendees at Stream Data Center information session remain opposed to project” in The Batavian on Feb. 3 as an example.

4) A number of GCEDC staff and board, as well as local elected officials and Town employees, were present. They mostly stayed in a circle in the corner of the room, talking amongst themselves.

5) There were very few chairs and finding a place to sit down was difficult. This presented challenges for numerous attendees and also discouraged group conversation.

6) Stream provided comment postcards with a two lines of space to write in comments. No information was provided on other structured opportunities for asking questions, sharing concerns, or discussing the project with other community members. We were not proactively told about the review process.

Overall:

We were disappointed by the event.

We had hoped for an opportunity to hear a comprehensive presentation from Stream, and instead we had to ask for information in piecemeal conversations.

We wanted a chance to hear our neighbors’ questions and ask our questions in front of a large group so that others could hear our questions and concerns.

We were disappointed that GCEDC and local elected officials did not come over to talk with us.

We were disappointed that Stream did not share more details about their plans for “community engagement” and we assume this means they aren’t actually interested in hearing from the community that would be most impacted by the monster data center. We assume they held the Open House so they could check the box on community engagement.

Let’s tell Stream: hold an actual public meeting.

Stream says they plan to hold another open house during the week of February 23. We don’t want another science fair setup. Stream says they want to hear from us. So let’s tell them to change the format – we want an actual presentation on their plans, with time for questions and answers from the audience. Submit a comment on their website today!

Then, join Allies of TSN for an open, honest conversation about the data center plan

We know Stream isn’t telling us the whole story. But we’re trying to educate ourselves and each other. If you’d like to learn more and be part of our conversation, join us!

Desserts and Data Center Discussions #4 with Allies of Tonawanda Seneca Nation. February 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Richmond Memorial Library at 19 Ross St. in Batavia.

No prior knowledge is needed to join and all perspectives are welcome. There will be light refreshments, and you’re welcome to bring a sweet treat to share. It is open to all so please invite your friends, family and neighbors to talk about what our community truly needs — and what we want to see at that site. For more info, see Allies of TSN and STOP the STAMP Monster Data Center on Facebook or call/text us at (585) 300-4925.

Signed,

Allies of TSN, including:

Sharon Larmon, Alabama

Gina Schlemanow, Batavia

Angela Larmon, Batavia

Christine Zinni, Batavia

Kelly Hallenbeck, Bergen

Adrienne Yocina, Pembroke