Brighton City Council voted unanimously Oct. 6 to pause data-center development in the city for one year, after residents packed City Hall to oppose a proposed campus near the Brighton-Lochbuie border. The proposed facility, planned to cover 2.5 million square feet, lost its zoning application during the meeting: Council members announced that the developers had withdrawn it. The city’s moratorium applies to data-center development more broadly, not just that project. The meeting drew so many people that the main chambers filled and police stopped admitting attendees. Dozens waited outside during a three-hour public-comment period. Nearly every speaker opposed data centers, citing concerns including water and power consumption, pollution and environmental effects. Council initially considered a six-month pause. Council Member Lloyd Worth called for a year, saying six months might not be enough. Mayor Greg Mills and council members Peter Padilla and Ann Taddeo first opposed the longer term, then joined the unanimous vote after the ordinance was amended. Brighton resident Lisa Burin urged the city to set rules before development proceeds, including limits on air, noise and light pollution. “Brighton is more than available land on a zoning map,” she told the council. The vote comes amid wider local opposition to data-center proposals and growing efforts by Colorado cities to restrict development. Thornton and Commerce City have also adopted moratoriums, while neighboring Lochbuie has enacted a five-year pause. State Sen. Julie Gonzales, who stood with residents outside the meeting, said opposition to data centers is emerging across party lines. She expects state lawmakers to revisit possible limits in the next legislative session, including whether to impose a ban or establish safeguards.