The process

How we work

Five steps, from the first call to a signed agreement. At every step, the community and the developer both know what is happening, who is involved, and what they will walk away with.

Isometric illustration of people seated around a meeting table

1. Intake

We learn the basics: what has been proposed, what has been filed, with whom, and when. We hold private conversations with the people involved and sort out which issues are still open and which are already settled. Before any public meeting, we publish who is paying us and on what terms.

Who is involved

CommonWatts, local officials, the developer and community leaders.

The community walks away with

An honest picture of what is still open and where it has a real say.

The developer walks away with

An early read on concerns, before anything goes public.

2. Standards

The local government sets clear rules for where and how data centers can be built, ideally before any developer files an application. Everyone agrees on what is up for discussion and what is not.

Who is involved

Local officials and planning and zoning staff, with CommonWatts. Residents and the developer can weigh in.

The community walks away with

Rules that apply to every project, set on the community’s own terms.

The developer walks away with

Clear rules up front, and fewer surprises later.

3. Community and stakeholder workshops

Residents, officials and the developer work through the open issues in structured sessions, not open-microphone hearings. Both sides agree on one set of facts, using independent experts the community chooses and the developer pays for.

Who is involved

Residents, local officials, the developer, independent experts, and CommonWatts as the neutral host.

The community walks away with

A real voice while decisions are still open, and facts it can trust.

The developer walks away with

A clear view of what the community needs, and one shared set of facts instead of competing studies.

4. Negotiated terms

Both sides turn what they have learned into specific commitments: numbers, dates, who is responsible, and what happens if a promise is broken.

Who is involved

The local government, the developer and community representatives, with CommonWatts running the talks.

The community walks away with

Promises with real follow-through, not forecasts people argue about.

The developer walks away with

Terms the community accepts, which makes the approval easier to defend.

5. Documentation and hand-off

We write everything down and publish it, including a closing report: what we heard, what changed because of it, and what did not change and why. We help set up yearly public reports and a way to settle disputes. Then we step away. We take no follow-on work.

Who is involved

CommonWatts, the local government and the developer.

The community walks away with

Commitments that still apply years after the project opens, and a way to check them.

The developer walks away with

An approval that holds up, with less risk of lawsuits, reversed votes and moratoriums.

How we measure success

At the end of our process, both sides should feel they were heard, respected, and able to work toward an outcome most people thought was fair. That is the whole measure.

Two engineers in high-visibility vests walking the perimeter of a low modern data center

Start a conversation

Tell us where the project is, who is involved, and how far along it is. A short call is usually enough to see whether we are the right fit.

Get in touch