Aurora council blocks data center pause

Aurora city council members voted on Monday to keep the data center moratorium on the back burner, a decision that sparked loud protests from residents near the proposed Trident facility. The split vote prevented the council from reconsidering the indefinite pause, leaving the contentious project largely unaffected by the measure. More than 50 residents signed up to speak in favor of the pause, but the procedural threshold for reconsideration was not met.

The conflict centers on the Trident data center, which Vantage Data Centers plans to build near the Windler and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods. City officials stated that the moratorium does not apply to Trident because the city has already accepted its application. Vantage requested a 90-day pause on new regulations while it evaluates other locations, though it confirmed it continues to advance the current site through the standard development process.

Following the vote, Mayor Mike Coffman said he plans to bring the reconsideration back to the full council at the Nov. 9 meeting. Until then, the proposal remains in limbo after the council rejected a similar six-month pause in August. The rejection left residents frustrated, with some shouting "shame" as the vote concluded.

Residents Gary Zimmerman and his neighbors voiced their dissatisfaction directly to the council. Zimmerman stated, "We needed this moratorium and you all failed us," while neighbors cheered in agreement. The emotional outburst underscored the tension between local opposition and the city's ongoing regulatory process.

Despite the moratorium setback, the council moved forward with a residential buffer proposal. This rule would ban data centers within 750 feet of homes and require them to be conditional uses between 750 feet and half a mile away. Councilmember Amy Wiles introduced the proposal, which would allow data centers as a use by right only if they are more than half a mile from houses. The earliest implementation date for this buffer is February.

Council members voted 6-4 to send the buffer proposal to the Planning and Zoning Committee. Coffman, Coombs, Horton, Jackson, Wiles, and Andrews supported the measure, while Bergan, Gardner, Hancock, and Lawson objected. Coffman argued that without good regulations, the city would see more projects like Trident. The new rules also require data centers to conduct noise modeling studies.

In a separate move, the council unanimously approved a zoning change to prohibit data centers in mixed-use office-industrial areas. Additionally, Coffman proposed a ban on future tax incentives for data centers, which passed the Management and Finance committee on Thursday. The city has already committed to four incentive agreements totaling up to $83 million, with Trident potentially receiving up to $39 million in rebates.