Sutton Residents Push Back on $16 Billion Data Center Plan
More than 100 people gathered for a Select Board meeting in Sutton, where residents raised concerns regarding the Kraft Group’s plan to construct a large data center campus. The project would include 10 buildings on land owned by the company’s Unified Packaging business, about 10 miles south of Worcester. All six people who spoke during a brief public-comment period opposed it.
One resident played a recording of a data center’s continuous hum, arguing that the sound would not stop once the facility was operating. Another warned against the town becoming a destination for the artificial intelligence industry. The meeting room was crowded, and some attendees interrupted a presentation by Town Manager Austin J. Cyganiewicz. Resident Max Provo was removed by a police officer after continuing to heckle board members.
Cyganiewicz presented an initial analysis of the proposal. Sutton is facing a budget shortfall of about $350,000, which he said could grow, reaching $2.5 million over the coming budget cycle and roughly $10 million by 2033. He said the first two buildings could generate $10.4 million in annual property taxes starting in fiscal 2031; all 10 could bring in about $27.8 million a year by 2035.
Select Board Chair Jonathan Anderson said the plan was at an early stage and that the board intended to hold multiple forums. A recent executive order by Gov. Maura Healey makes town consent necessary for data center projects ahead of state permits being issued, giving the town a role in whether the proposal proceeds.
Sutton Residents Challenge Data Center’s Costs to Their Community
Sutton residents made clear their opposition to the Kraft Group’s proposed $16 billion data center campus, with all six speakers during the Select Board’s short public-comment period against the plan. The proposal calls for 10 buildings on company-owned land about 10 miles south of Worcester.
One resident played a recording of a data center’s unceasing hum to illustrate the kind of noise she fears the town could face. Another objected to Sutton becoming a destination for the artificial intelligence industry. Their concerns put the consequences for residents and local control at the center of a meeting that drew more than 100 people.
The financial case for the project comes as Sutton confronts a projected budget deficit: about $350,000 now, potentially $2.5 million in the next budget cycle and roughly $10 million by 2033, Town Manager Austin J. Cyganiewicz said. He estimated that the first two buildings could generate $10.4 million in annual property taxes from fiscal 2031, rising to about $27.8 million for all 10 in 2035. Those projected revenues are substantial, but the meeting showed that opposition cannot be reduced to a budget calculation.
The Select Board said it would hold more public forums and would not vote immediately. A recent executive order by Gov. Maura Healey requires local approval before state permits can be issued, making the town’s decision a key part of the process.
Sutton Must Weigh Data Center Revenue Against Residents’ Concerns
Sutton faces a growing budget gap, and Town Manager Austin J. Cyganiewicz laid out the potential tax revenue from a proposed $16 billion data center campus as residents urged the Select Board to reject it. The project, proposed by the Kraft Group, would place 10 buildings on company-owned land about 10 miles south of Worcester.
Cyganiewicz said the town’s deficit is about $350,000 and could reach $2.5 million in the next budget cycle and roughly $10 million by 2033. In his preliminary analysis, he estimated the first two buildings could provide $10.4 million in annual property taxes starting in fiscal 2031. The full campus could yield about $27.8 million a year by 2035.
The public meeting drew more than 100 people, and all six residents who spoke during the limited comment period opposed the plan. One played a recording of a data center’s constant hum; another warned against turning Sutton into a hub for the artificial intelligence industry. A resident who continued interrupting the presentation was removed by a police officer.
The board has not endorsed the proposal and said it would hold multiple public forums before considering a vote. Under a recent executive order by Gov. Maura Healey, local approval is required before state permits for data centers can be issued. The decision therefore remains with a town weighing projected revenue against residents’ objections.
Reported by CBS Boston, The Boston Globe, Boston.com, The Daily Caller, GBH News.
