u/AwkwardOctopus314

Thursday, May 14, 5:30 PM, Marriott Hotel, 5580 Tech Center Drive. Join the community in getting your questions answered about Project Taurus data center by the developers. What happens with Project Taurus will define the future of how Colorado Springs protects residents (or doesn't) from the negative side effects of data center projects.

Despite houses being less than 350ft away at its closest point from the proposed project (property lines are even closer), the city of Colorado Springs does not plan to do environmental or residential impact studies to understand how data centers will impact the health and well-being of local residents. In the photos is Chelsea Glen, a neighborhood with some houses that existed before the Intel chip plant, and some that were built afterwards. When the area was originally zoned, it was for expected 9 to 5 operations but is now proposed for 24/7 operations without any additional consideration or due diligence on what this means for locals.

Nearly half the AI data centers planned for 2026 are facing delays or cancellations because cities and states are realizing there are hidden costs -- often paid by residents, not the companies benefiting from the facilities -- in the form of energy rate hikes, property value depreciation, air and noise pollution, and health risks, among others. As of May 2026, there are approximately 80 active moratoriums or bans on data center development across the U.S.

Yet the people of Colorado Springs are supposed to believe a developer when they say "trust us, it'll be fine" without the studies to back it up? Trusting developers without studies, regulations, and requirements hasn't ended well for quite a few communities around here. Especially with developers like Raeden who had a year to engage with the local community but only did it when it became a requirement for project approval.

If the City of Colorado Springs won't even do its due diligence, we need to say NO to this Data Center.

A follow-up meeting for Project Taurus, a data center project on Garden of the Gods Road, will occur May 14th, at the Marriott Hotel at 5580 Tech Center Drive, Colorado Springs, 80919. This proposal would convert an existing structure into a 451,000+ square foot, 24/7 data center facility operating 300 – 500 ft from established residential neighborhoods and close to the Big Horn Sheep habitat in Garden of the Gods.

🏭The scale, permanence, and continuous operation of data centers demand a level of scrutiny consistent with other major industrial developments, not fast-track approval based primarily on the developer’s own reporting. This zoning was originally approved when expected operations were 9 to 5, and does not take into account the 24/7 operations of data centers. This raises fundamental land-use compatibility concerns. Other concerns include:

• Regulation and land use have not caught up to data center technology or 24/7 use
• No studies have been done by the City on the impacts of data centers of the health of residents, energy prices, and environment of our neighborhoods
• The City is rushing into this project without adequate research or planning
• The City did not effectively regulate the last data company at this location

States, cities, and towns across the United States are pushing back against data centers based on studies and concerns that are coming to light related to:

• 🚩Detrimental health impacts including respiratory issues and premature death
• 🚩Energy use and significant energy price increases for residential rate payers
• 🚩Water consumption
• 🚩Noise from continuous operations
• 🚩Low frequency and infranoise
• 🚩Environmental impacts of these projects on local communities

 🚨 More than 30 states, many localities, and Congress are considering legislation to regulate or pause data center construction. Many developers are rushing to get permits approved and construction started before these bills pass so their projects can be “grandfathered in” to exempt them from any new laws. Raeden, for example, has been building infrastructure and purchasing energy for this unapproved project.

🔊 The developers say that their operation will be virtually noiseless and have no environmental or energy concerns. If this was possible, communities across the country would not be dealing with tripled utility prices, noise ranging between 55 to 90 decibels from external cooling fans and systems, heat islands, and industrial droning that can be heard miles away, and significant air quality issues.  Local governments are taking the time to truly understand the risks of these projects, including the City of Gibraltar, Michigan, location of another proposed Raeden facility.

The City must approach this project with more caution.  At the last project meeting, the venture capital-funded Raeden developers were unprepared for the hundreds of residents who came out to support the community. Concerned neighbors were given slick marketing answers that did not address real concerns, and in the first session were told there is no way to stop the data center project. Clearly, they don’t know the people of Colorado Springs. As a responsible community, we will not join the stampede for “the next new thing” without careful deliberation.

Join the community in coming out to say NO to Raeden's Project Taurus and data center.

Edit to add a Facebook group that is starting to organize: Stop Project Taurus Data Center - Garden of the Gods