Farmington sued by group over plans to build data center

The City of Farmington has been sued by a group of people regarding the plans to allow a data center to be built within the city.

As reported earlier this month by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, councilors have approved a contract for the data center with Tract, a Denver-based development company, by a vote of 4-1. Neighbors have also voiced concerns about the noise and current views they have where the site would be located. Councilors approved the final plat for Farmington Technology Park last month.

The lawsuit, filed by a group called Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development made of community members living in Farmington and Castle Rock Township, claims Tract has “a proven history of preying on unsuspecting small municipalities in states that have no regulation on the data center building industry.” The suit goes on to say that due to the size of the buildings needed to accommodate the centers, “will inevitably lead to cities having to construct and implement more costly infrastructure for electricity and water, the cost of which will be passed on to residents, not the developer.”

The lawsuit cites the city breached a contract with neighboring Castle Rock Township, didn’t provide enough notice to Castle Rock Township and neighboring agencies and cities regarding a proposed rezoning plan for Fountain Valley, didn’t complete Environmental studies and more.

You can find the full lawsuit at the bottom of this article.

Meanwhile, the city provided the following statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS regarding the lawsuit:

“In response to your email, the City of Farmington does not comment on pending litigation. We are committed to transparency and will provide updates when appropriate and in accordance with legal and procedural requirements. Thank you for your understanding.”

Deanna Kuennen, Community and Economic Development Director