Google barge in peril over lack of permits

Google's alleged plans to build a "mystery barge" in San Francisco have reportedly been halted over claims it does not have the appropriate construction permits.

According to local news outlet KPIX 5, the company has already spent millions of dollars on the project, which is rumoured to either be a marketing and/or retail facility for Google Glass, or a prototype water-cooled datacentre.

However, it has been forced to stop work as it does not have permission to build anything in San Francisco Bay, where the barge is currently located.

The alleged transgressions are twofold. Firstly, while the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) says it has held preliminary discussions with Google about "hypothetical operations" on the water, no permission has been given to commence construction as the company has allegedly been too vague about how the barge would be used.

According to local planning laws, the project's purpose must be clearly defined before any permits can be issued.

Furthermore, Larry Goldzband, executive director of the BCDC told KPIX 5: "The Bay is not to be used for something that can be built on land," adding "the law is crystal clear in this case".

Indeed, Google has already built a seawater-cooled datacentre on land in Finland, and retail units are most commonly built on land as well.

An additional issue is the BCDC is already facing opposition over a plan to build a new waterfront arena for local basketball team, the Golden State Warriors. This, it is argued, may make it less likely the commission will award Google the permits needed to complete construction and put the facility into operation.

IT Pro contacted Google for comment on this story, and was still awaiting a response at the time of writing.