Colchester residents pack town hall to oppose proposed data center
Colchester residents packed a town hall meeting to oppose a proposed data center on Old Amston Road. The plan calls for two buildings with more than a dozen megawatts of power, prompting concerns about traffic, noise, water use, environmental impacts and the loss of wooded land; some residents urged town leaders to impose a moratorium on future data center development.
Residents of Colchester, Connecticut, confronted town leaders at a heated public meeting over a proposed data center on Old Amston Road. The development plan includes two buildings, one providing about 5 megawatts of rack space and another totaling roughly 20,000 square feet and also using 5 megawatts of power. The site is currently wooded and includes trails used by residents and wildlife.
Opponents said they only recently learned about the project and questioned its potential effects on traffic, noise, water use and the surrounding environment, including the risk of fires near the site. They also objected to the property being described online as ready for development despite the area’s residential setting. The project would require a zoning change, and some residents asked Colchester officials to enact a moratorium on future data center development while the proposal is considered.