Douglas County Needs a Data Center Policy Before We Approve More Data Centers
Artificial intelligence is transforming our economy. Cloud computing is growing at an extraordinary pace. The demand for data centers is not slowing down. And Douglas County is already experiencing the impacts.
Over the past several months, one issue has come up again and again in my conversations with residents across Douglas County: the massive data center currently under construction in the Compark area of Parker.
For many people, this project was not simply surprising because of its size. It raised a much bigger question:
Is Douglas County prepared for this kind of development?
Residents have shared concerns with me about everything from water use and electrical demand to traffic, noise, emergency preparedness, and the impact large industrial facilities can have on nearby neighborhoods. Many have also asked whether projects like these could affect the long-term desirability and value of their homes. They questioned the process and how the community was informed of decisions, many noting they didn’t know the project was happening until it was already well underway.
These are reasonable questions from reasonable people. And responsible local government should be asking these types of questions before approving projects that could shape our community for decades.
As your County Commissioner, I believe it is time for Douglas County to develop a comprehensive Data Center Policy. One that protects taxpayers, gives residents a meaningful voice, and provides transparency and a clear framework for businesses looking to invest here.
Technology Is Moving Faster Than Local Government
It’s incredible how quickly data centers have become essential infrastructure for today’s digital economy. They support artificial intelligence, health care, finance, education, research, and many of the online services we use every day. But our policies have kept pace with the technology.
While facilities can vary greatly in size and use, many today are larger, consume more electricity, require more sophisticated cooling systems, and have greater infrastructure needs than those envisioned when many local zoning regulations were written.
Across Colorado and around the country, communities are recognizing that local governments need updated policies before approving additional projects of this scale.
Douglas County should do the same.
We Need a Policy Before the Next Project
Douglas County currently has no publicly adopted, data-center-specific framework for evaluating the unique impacts of these facilities. That needs to change before the next major project comes forward.
Rather than continuing to evaluate projects one at a time without a comprehensive countywide policy, I believe Douglas County should launch a Data Center Policy Initiative.
The first step should be a moratorium on approvals for new large-scale data centers while this work is completed.
This is not about stopping innovation.
It is not about saying “no.”
It is about making sure we know what we are saying “yes” to.
Responsible growth has always required planning first. Data centers should be no exception.
Communities Are More Than Development Sites
When people purchase a home, they are investing in far more than four walls and a roof.
They are investing in a neighborhood. They are investing in nearby schools, parks, trails, open space, local businesses, and the character of the community they chose to call home. They are investing in a quality of life.
That is why projects of this scale deserve thoughtful planning. Residents deserve to understand not only what is being built but also how it could affect their daily lives. Will traffic increase? Will there be additional noise from cooling equipment or backup generators? Will utility infrastructure need to expand? How will emergency services respond? How will these facilities fit into surrounding neighborhoods? What impact could they have on one of the largest investments many families will ever make: their home?
County government has a responsibility to consider these questions before—not after—approving major industrial development. Protecting quality of life and protecting property values should be part of responsible land-use planning.
Economic Development Must Deliver More Than a Press Release
The Compark data center was promoted as an economic development opportunity that would expand Parker’s technology-focused business footprint and create new jobs. That potential matters. Data centers can generate construction work, tax revenue, and some high-skilled technical jobs.
But residents also deserve to know what kind of jobs are being created, how many will be permanent, whether local workers will benefit, and what the community receives in return for the land, power capacity, and infrastructure these facilities require.
Observing how other states handle these questions can help us understand why they are important, and we should consider those lessons. Large data centers can support significant short-term construction activity. But they are highly capital-intensive facilities, and their long-term operating workforce may be relatively small compared with their size and community footprint.
For example, in Virginia, where data centers have been studied extensively, state analysts found that a typical 250,000-square-foot facility (the size of the Compark data center) may employ roughly 50 full-time workers (about half of them contractors) while construction can support far more workers but over a limited period.
That does not mean data centers create no value. It means Douglas County should be honest about the difference between temporary construction activity and lasting local employment.
The real question is not simply whether a project brings investment. It is:
What does Douglas County receive in exchange for the land, power capacity, infrastructure access, and long-term community impacts these facilities require?
Before approving another major data center, the County should require an independent, public economic and fiscal analysis that answers:
How many permanent, local, full-time jobs will be created?
What wages, benefits, training, and career pathways will those jobs provide?
How many construction jobs are expected, and what share will go to Colorado or Douglas County workers?
What new tax revenue is expected for local governments, schools, fire districts, and other affected entities?
What public infrastructure must be built or upgraded, and who pays?
Is any tax incentive, fee waiver, land concession, or public subsidy being provided?
Would the project likely locate here without public assistance?
What alternative uses of the same land, power capacity, and infrastructure could create more sustained jobs or community value?
Economic development should mean more than a large price tag and a ribbon-cutting. It should deliver real, measurable, and lasting benefits to the people who already live here.
If Douglas County Says “Yes,” Our Community Should Benefit
If the County approves future large-scale data centers, those projects should come with enforceable commitments, not vague promises.
That could include:
Local hiring and registered-apprenticeship targets during construction
Partnerships with local schools, colleges, and workforce programs to build technical career pathways
Public reporting on permanent jobs, wages, contracting, tax revenue, energy use, and compliance
Developer-funded infrastructure and emergency-response costs
Clear commitments to avoid shifting utility or infrastructure costs onto residents and small businesses
Community-benefit agreements where appropriate
Clawbacks if developers fail to meet agreed-upon job, investment, or infrastructure commitments
We should welcome innovation and partnership, but negotiate for real community benefit, not simply the hope that those benefits appear.
Residents Deserve a Seat at the Table
We’ve seen this happen in Douglas County before – residents feel left out of the process because minimal effort was made to engage the community. One of the concerns I hear most often is not simply about data centers themselves. It is about feeling that major decisions are made without meaningful public involvement.
That has to change.
Before Douglas County approves another large-scale data center, I believe we should establish a Data Center Advisory Task Force that includes:
Residents and neighborhood representatives
Water providers
Utility companies
Fire protection districts and emergency managers
Technology experts
Environmental organizations
Economic development leaders
Local business representatives
Educational partners
Its charge would be straightforward: develop recommendations for a countywide Data Center Policy that balances innovation with responsible growth.
The process should include public meetings, community listening sessions, opportunities for written public comment, and independent technical analysis available for everyone to review.
Good government does not simply inform residents about decisions. It invites them into the decision-making process.
Common-Sense Planning Before the Next Project
This is not about adding layers of government or red tape to make it harder for responsible businesses to invest in Douglas County. It is about using common sense by setting clear expectations up front so residents, developers, and municipalities know what information is needed before a major proposal moves forward.
The Parker data center shows why that matters. Because this is still a relatively new kind of development in Colorado, Town staff had to evaluate a complex project through a site-specific rezoning and overlay process. But these staff are not experts, and local governments should not have to start from scratch whenever a major new proposal arrives. Douglas County should lead by creating a clear countywide framework, developed with technical expertise, public input, and practical standards that municipalities and applicants can rely on.
I am not universally opposed to all data centers. But I am opposed to making decisions of this magnitude before our policies (and our public engagement) have caught up with the technology.
That is why I support a temporary pause on approvals for new large-scale data centers while Douglas County develops clear, practical standards through an open public process.
We can welcome innovation without abandoning thoughtful planning. We can support economic growth without asking residents to simply hope everything works out. The best communities do not choose between growth and quality of life. They plan for both.
That is the kind of leadership I will bring as your next Douglas County Commissioner.
Sources and Further Reading:
Flexential / Compark data center announcement: CORE Electric Cooperative: Community partnerships create data center growth in Douglas County
Virginia’s official review of data-center economic and fiscal impacts: Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission: Data Centers in Virginia
Full Virginia JLARC report: Data Centers in Virginia: 2024 Report
Georgia’s evaluation of data-center tax incentives: Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts: Tax Incentive Evaluation
Brookings: Turning the data-center boom into long-term, local prosperity: Brookings Institution analysis
Larimer County’s temporary moratorium and public policy process: Larimer County: Temporary Moratorium on Data Center Facilities
Larimer County public-engagement portal: Data Center Regulations public-input page
