New report urges Colorado Springs to tighten rules on data centers
By John Frank
Colorado Springs should tighten its data center rules rather than halt new projects, a new independent report recommends.
Why it matters: Mayor Yemi Mobolade requested the study to chart a middle path through a contentious debate that's upending the city, as evidenced by the turmoil surrounding Project Taurus.
The nonprofit Romer Institute of Evidence-based Policy, which authored the report, argues a moratorium would just delay projects without generating substantive standards.
State of play: Colorado Springs owns its utilities, giving the city unusual leverage over development approvals and access to power and water, the report notes.
Zoom in: The study outlines 14 policy options for city planners to consider. Key proposals include:
New rules: Create a separate land-use category for data centers and revisit the 10-megawatt threshold that exempts smaller facilities from utility safeguards for large customers.
Neighborhood protections: Require independent noise studies, consider limits on low-frequency sound, and formalize when developers must assess water use.
Public input: Hold community forums and require public hearings for projects exceeding defined thresholds.
Project-specific rules: Set baseline requirements, then negotiate additional protections for individual developments.
Plan for the downside: Consider guarantees for abandoned facilities and a consistent way to measure projects' fiscal impacts.
The big picture: Mobolade's administration wants to break months of gridlock and establish a framework to protect ratepayers, water supplies and neighborhoods without shutting the door on development.
Yes, but: City Council must approve land-use changes and utility safeguards, given its role in overseeing Colorado Springs Utilities.
No future date is set to consider the planning department's development code recommendations.
The current moratorium ends April 13, one week after the municipal election.
The bottom line: The next test is whether City Hall can turn its promises into enforceable rules before a new data center sparks another neighborhood showdown.