Aurora Council Moves 750-Foot Data Center Buffer Forward Despite Trident Relocation Push

Aurora City Council voted on Monday to advance a proposal that would restrict data centers from building within 750 feet of residential areas. The measure, which sends the rule to the Planning and Zoning Committee for further review, was approved by a majority vote after a contentious public hearing.

The council simultaneously rejected a motion to reconsider an indefinite moratorium on new data center applications. Five council members, including Mayor Mike Coffman, supported the reconsideration, while five others voted against it. Because meeting rules required seven votes to open the floor for discussion, the moratorium was not debated. Coffman stated he intends to bring the issue back to the full council on Nov. 9.

The vote followed a surge of public opposition to the Trident data center project. Dozens of residents from the Windler and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods attended the meeting. Many spoke in favor of the pause, and the audience erupted in shouts of "Shame" immediately after the reconsideration vote failed. Gary Zimmerman, a local resident, told the council, "We needed this moratorium and you all failed us."

Vantage Data Centers, the developer behind the Trident facility, requested a 90-day pause on new regulations while it evaluates alternative sites. In a letter to the council, Vantage stated that new rules could "hinder our efforts and lead to a negative outcome" for both residents and the company. Matthew Clark, a senior manager for Vantage public policy, wrote that the company is assessing technical feasibility for locations further from residentially zoned parcels.

City officials clarified that the new 750-foot buffer will not apply to the Trident project at its current location or any future site identified by Vantage. City Attorney Pete Schulte explained that a new location would be treated as an amended application rather than a new one, exempting it from the new setback rules. Jason Batchelor, the city manager, added that existing facilities, including those operated by JP Morgan Chase and QTS, would also be exempt.

The proposed buffer represents an increase from previous discussions centered on a 350-foot setback. Under the new rules, data centers located between 750 feet and half a mile from homes would be classified as conditional uses, requiring public hearings and specific approvals. Facilities located more than half a mile away in approved zoning would proceed as uses by right, avoiding a mandatory public hearing.

Council members divided on the distance. Alison Wiles, who proposed the measure, cited research from other municipalities to justify the 750-foot limit. Other members, including Francoise Bergan and Curtis Gardner, argued the distance was arbitrary and raised concerns that the new rules might complicate Vantage's search for a new site. Bergan noted that creating obstacles for Vantage could force the company to build where it has existing rights.

In a separate action, the council unanimously approved changes to zoning that prohibit data centers in mixed-use office-industrial areas. This change also does not affect the Trident project. The council further supported a ban on future tax incentives for data centers, a move that would stop the city from remitting sales or use tax back to developers in exchange for jobs. The city has already committed to four incentive agreements totaling up to $83 million, with the Trident project eligible for up to $39 million in rebates.