Residents of Pittsburg, California, say they were blindsided after local officials approved plans for a large data centre on the site of a much-loved local golf course, with the community accusing authorities of using an underhand procedural manoeuvre to push the project through with minimal public input. The scheme, linked to a company identified as Avaio, has provoked anger in the suburb, where locals feel the character and amenities of their neighbourhood have been sacrificed with little genuine consultation, reflecting wider tensions across the US as booming demand for data centres collides with local opposition to their environmental and community impact.

The available article text does not set out further specifics of the planning process, the size of the proposed facility, or the exact mechanism residents allege was used to secure approval. It does indicate that the golf course was a valued neighbourhood asset and that residents were left "dumbstruck" by the decision, framing it as part of a broader pattern of communities pushing back against the rapid, often contentious expansion of data centre infrastructure in the US.