A California company called Raeden wants to turn an old computer chip factory near Garden of the Gods Road and Centennial Boulevard into a large data center. The site sits only about 400 feet from homes, and neighbors are worried about constant machine noise and a massive new drain on the local power grid.

This isn't a hypothetical concern. The developers themselves have said the data center could pull up to 50 megawatts of electricity from Colorado Springs Utilities — power that residential customers may end up helping to cover. And when it comes to noise, Colorado Springs has been here before. City Council member Dave Donelson pointed to the ongoing fallout from the Ford Amphitheater, saying, "we were promised whatever it took, and then we had no way to help the citizens, who even now years later are struggling to be able to sleep in their own beds," according to Colorado Newsline.

The Colorado Springs City Council already postponed a final vote once, in a 7-2 decision, after a hearing so tense that police arrested three people. Council member Roland Rainey said plainly, "the one thing I've heard today, and it's abundantly clear to me, is that we're not ready," according to Colorado Newsline. The council is now expected to revisit this decision in April.

Homes should not have to absorb the noise, energy strain, and unknowns of a hyperscale-adjacent data center just steps from their backyards. The Colorado Springs City Council can still say no to this specific project at this specific location.

Sign the petition and tell the Colorado Springs City Council to reject the Project Taurus data center before their April vote locks it in.