Aurora mayor says proposed Trident Data Center should be stopped
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman says the proposed Trident Data Center in east Aurora should be stopped because it would be too close to nearby homes and schools. Residents have raised concerns about water use, electricity demand, diesel generators and property impacts, while the city considers new siting rules and acknowledges a potential lawsuit risk.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman is opposing the proposed Trident Data Center, planned near the Green Valley Ranch and Aurora Highlands neighborhoods south of Denver International Airport. He said residents were blindsided by the project and argued that Aurora’s current code, which permits data centers as an industrial use in the area, is outdated. Residents filled a City Council meeting to demand reconsideration, citing potential impacts from water consumption, electricity use, diesel generators and the proximity of large facilities to homes.
Coffman said he prefers pausing the project until new regulations establish setbacks from homes and schools, rather than adopting an arbitrary fixed-term moratorium. Trident remains under review under the rules in place when it was submitted, and developer Vantage plans to hold a community meeting. Aurora previously rejected a proposal to temporarily pause data center projects, and Coffman acknowledged that stopping Trident could expose the city to litigation. A second data center has also been proposed nearby.