Tulare County Fair board tables proposed emergency-resilience system after public opposition

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- Community members packed a Tulare County Fair Board meeting Tuesday night to voice opposition to a proposed "emergency-resilience system" that could be built at the Tulare County Fairgrounds.

The board did not vote on the proposed project, but residents urged board members to reject it. Neighbors referred to the proposal as a data center and expressed concerns throughout the meeting, which at times became tense as attendees voiced their opposition and held signs against the project.

Southern California-based company Global Stack would oversee the proposed system. The company describes the technology as an "emergency-resilience system" designed to keep first responders connected.

Action News spoke with one person in support of the proposal.

"I believe the data centers bring generational wealth and I think it would be a mistake for Tulare County to miss this opportunity," said Reagan O'Hara, a Visalia resident.

According to Global Stack, the company hopes to build the project at more than 50 sites statewide, with a price tag of about $20 million per location.

The Tulare County Fairgrounds described the technology as a "self-contained edge computing system." During the meeting, Tulare County Fair Board President Gary Castro addressed community concerns.

"Please understand the Board's responsibility to evaluate opportunities that support the long-term sustaibility of the fairgrounds. We have an obligation to consinder, consider, potential projects," Castro said.

Global Stack told Action News the project would also include a helipad and that the site would use between 2 and 10 megawatts of power.

Water use was among the concerns raised among community members.

"My big concern is that our water is being polluted, our air is being polluted. There's potential for jobs being taken from AI," said Lillian Waddell, a Visalia resident.

Global Stack said no water connection is needed and that the project would operate on a closed-loop cooling system.

While the board took no action on the proposal Tuesday night, Castro said the topic would be tabled until further information becomes available. According to Global Stack, the fairgrounds could contribute up to 5 acres of land for the project.

Action News also reached out to Global Stack for an on-camera interview, but the company said it was not available.

For news updates, follow Ana Torrea on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.