Last week the Colorado Springs Planning Commission denied an appeal of the administrative decision to approve the Project Taurus data center. The project will be housed in a former Intel microchip manufacturing plant that was previously home to a Bitcoin mining operation near Garden of the Gods Road. The project has elicited widespread concern from residents and activists — who have raised concerns about noise, water consumption, and utility rates — during a series of community meetings. The Planning Department determined that a data center use is permitted under current zoning and the city’s Urban Development Code, which resulted in an administrative approval.