Brighton residents uncover proposal for massive data center campus, spurring potential moratorium
Residents in Brighton, Colorado, uncovered a proposal for a 2.5 million-square-foot data center campus, raising concerns about its impact on the neighborhood. In response, a City Council member plans to propose a 90-day moratorium on data center applications to establish specific zoning codes and address water usage concerns. The project's rezoning application has been submitted but not yet reviewed by the city council.
Brighton, Colorado, residents have expressed surprise and concern after uncovering an early-stage proposal for a massive 2.5 million-square-foot data center campus. The plans, detailed in pre-application conference meetings between planning firm Dewberry and City of Brighton officials, outline eight two-story data center buildings near County Road 4 and 50th Avenue. The City of Brighton has confirmed receiving a rezoning application for the site, though it has yet to come before the city council for a public hearing.
Abby Goens, a long-time resident, learned of the proposal via TikTok and voiced strong opposition, citing concerns about noise, light pollution, and a fundamental change to her neighborhood's character. City documents indicate that Brighton officials had already flagged water demand as a significant concern during initial meetings, requiring a water resources report and questioning cooling system technologies.
In response to the proposal and community sentiment, Brighton City Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Peter Padilla announced plans to propose a 90-day moratorium on new data center applications at the upcoming city council meeting on October 6. Padilla highlighted the city's current lack of specific zoning codes or regulations for data centers and emphasized the need to establish such rules, especially given Brighton's limited water resources from underground aquifers in an arid climate. He noted that other Colorado communities like Denver and Larimer County have also paused data center development.