-Editorial
The City of Imperial has filed a formal objection to efforts that would allow a proposed data center lot merger to bypass action taken earlier this month by the Imperial County Planning Commission, according to a city press release issued late Monday, Dec. 29.
The Planning Commission voted Dec. 18 to require the applicant to further discuss the project with the cities of Imperial and El Centro, as well as the surrounding community, before returning to the commission for consideration. County officials later reported that the lot merger would instead be heard by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors following an appeal filed by the developer, a move the city says contradicts the commission’s action.
In response, the City of Imperial filed what it described as an objection and protective appeal, citing concerns that the Planning Commission’s directive was not honored. The city said the full filing has been posted on its website.
The objection follows a lawsuit filed by the city on Dec. 2 challenging the county’s review of the proposed data center under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. In the lawsuit, the city alleges the county failed to properly apply CEQA and its own ordinances when assessing the project, which has been described by its proponents as among the largest data centers of its kind in California. The city also raised concerns about what it characterized as limited awareness of the project among nearby residents.
City officials said Imperial supports responsible economic development and noted that the city previously worked with the same developer on a separate data center proposal within city limits, including property at the former Motor Vu Drive-In Theater site. According to the press release, after months of staff review, public hearing commitments, and CEQA compliance efforts, the developer voluntarily withdrew that application.
The city said the developer later stated in an August 2025 email that the project was intended to proceed through a ministerial process and was withdrawn after the city did not agree with that interpretation.
In its statement, the city said it has sought to involve residents in the development process and denied misleading the public about the project. The press release also referenced criticism of the city by the project proponent through paid advertisements and presentations to local organizations, which city officials said runs counter to efforts to promote public participation in development decisions.
Lot mergers are a land-use process that allows two or more adjacent parcels under common ownership to be combined into a single legal lot. The procedure is administrative in nature and is typically used to simplify property boundaries, align parcels with zoning requirements, or facilitate future planning consistency. A lot merger does not, by itself, approve construction, development, or a specific land use, nor does it authorize projects that would require separate discretionary permits or environmental review.
In Imperial County, lot merger applications are reviewed to ensure consistency with zoning regulations, subdivision standards, and applicable state laws, including the California Environmental Quality Act. Any future development on a merged parcel must undergo its own review process, which may include public hearings, environmental analysis, and additional approvals by the appropriate decision-making bodies.
