Brush residents give input on data center standards at recent meeting
Approximately 60 residents and community members from Brush gathered at the Pettey’s Park Golf Course clubhouse on the evening of Wednesday, October 21st, for a public meeting regarding standards for data centers.
Community Development Director & Assistant City Administrator for the City of Brush, Tyler Purvis, hosted the meeting to inform the public about data center facts and information, gather feedback, and take comments from the public, whether for or against. This was not a Q&A session, but rather a session to receive input from the people of Brush.
Materials were available with definitions and information regarding them, as well as frequently asked questions that a lot of folks have, not just in Brush, but across the nation. A data center is a facility used primarily for the storage, management, processing, exchange, transmission, or retrieval of information from all kinds of sources, including computer servers, networking & telecommunications equipment, cooling systems, backup power, power generation, and other types of infrastructure. They support services that everyone uses if they have a computer or mobile device. From email to cloud computing, streaming services to online banking, and so much more. They have been around for decades, but not in the large-scale sizes or warehouse-type buildings as of late.
Due to growth in cloud computing, A.I. technologies, digital storage, and increased online activity, they are becoming more common. There are legitimate concerns from the public, as thoughtful planning and adopting standards for data centers is something that Brush, and every community, needs to look at and consider. Even though standards can be set, that doesn’t mean that the municipality is approving a data center; it is just establishing the rules for them to follow. Water use, power consumption, noise, air quality, land space, decommissioning, community pros and cons, and many other considerations are what are trying to be gathered as time pushes forward.
The main concern in the room was the preservation of the agricultural economics of the region, as well as the preservation of the way of life in Morgan County and Northeast Colorado. The purpose was to ensure that any development, if it occurs, does so in a manner that is consistent with the Brush community’s values and long-term interests.
