Beacon Falls, Connecticut, has long been known for its peaceful atmosphere. Now, however, that quiet way of life is facing an unexpected challenge.
Set along the scenic Naugatuck River, the historic town has a population of only about 6,000 residents.
Few locals imagined that Beacon Falls would become caught up in America’s technology boom. But early indications of a proposed data center have fueled concerns that large-scale development could soon transform the community.
‘It’s a place where people live, a quiet place. We didn’t move here to be part of the urban sprawl,’ Sandra Listro, a Beacon Falls resident, told the Daily Mail.
Many residents are particularly worried about the possible impact on the Naugatuck River, which is located only a few miles from the proposed data center site.
The river was once considered one of the most polluted waterways in the United States, before an extensive cleanup and restoration campaign in the 1990s.
Josh James, one of the project’s most outspoken opponents, told the Daily Mail that bald eagles have returned to the Naugatuck since the restoration effort. He fears the birds could be put at risk by the proposed development.
James lives in nearby Seymour and is campaigning for a seat in the state legislature representing Beacon Falls’ district.
A Connecticut developer is proposing a data center in the small town of Beacon Falls
Residents have begun protesting the proposal, putting up signs throughout the town to voice their opposition
The prospectus, which residents have criticized as dystopian, featured images of a dark, gleaming glass building and construction workers in a seemingly AI-generated scene
He raised the issue on social media after finding the public listing for the proposed data center.
The Agency, a real estate firm, published an online presentation promoting the project, complete with a series of concept images that appeared to have been generated by AI.
The images depicted a sprawling technology campus in the center of Beacon Falls. Among the visuals were a dark, reflective glass structure and an unsettling image of construction workers that also appeared to be AI-generated.
O&G Industries, which owns the property, has confirmed that it is exploring plans for a data center. The town, however, has not yet received an official proposal.
O&G Industries is working with The Agency to find a buyer that could operate the facility if the project receives approval.
David Oneglia, president of O&G, told the Daily Mail that the company had initially considered a 100-megawatt data center. After discussions with energy provider Eversource, those plans were reduced to a 32-megawatt facility.
The online presentation included images that appeared to be AI-generated, adding to residents’ unease about the proposed project
Josh James said there are concerns for the bald eagles that have returned to the area
Oneglia said the proposed data center would not be used for artificial intelligence.
However, The Agency’s listing notes that the center will allow for ‘AI deployment strategies.’
‘Beacon Falls presents a rare, clean slate opportunity to develop a purpose built digital infrastructure campus across 49 acres with up to 100megawatts of utility power in place – one of the most compelling and supply constrained sites available in the Northeast,’ the listing boasts.
First Selectman Gerard F Smith told the Daily Mail that the town has not received an official proposal.
Oneglia said that once they agree to terms with Eversource on gas, they will file for permits and submit a proposal.
‘I still can’t go for the permits until Eversource agrees to give us the gas, and Eversource politically doesn’t wanna give us the gas right now. They probably will, but it certainly wouldn’t be before the election,’ he said.
Listro told the Daily Mail that townspeople are aware of the marketing effort and widely oppose the data center. An online petition calling for the project’s halt has already generated over 2,500 signatures.
Beacon Falls is a picturesque town in the Naugatuck Valley region of CT
Residents of the community have gathered to rally against the data center
Residents have expressed concerns that the data center will ruin the town’s small community, impact the environment and cause electricity bills to skyrocket.
Rural towns nationwide have been grappling with similar issues.
A recent investigation by NJ.com, AL.com, MLive, Penn Live and Oregon Live found that despite residents opposing data centers, developers have pushed them through in many small-town communities by suing local governments.
In Lowell, Massachusetts, a few hours north of Beacon Falls, multiple advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit on behalf of residents to stop a massive data center from expanding. A court ruled in favor of the halt in August.
‘The residents up there sued to stop growth and any more data centers from being put in right now because of the effects that it’s having on the residents,’ Listro said.
‘In such a small town like Beacon Falls, what would that do to us?’
Residents have gathered for multiple community meetings to discuss the data center
Jeff Markley, the CEO of the Markley Group which operates the data center in Lowell, told the Daily Mail that ‘once the full record is before the Court, it will be clear that the previous dismissal of the appeal at issue was proper and that the Court will find in favor of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Markley.’
Both James and Listro have attended multiple community meetings where residents have opposed the data center. James noted a bipartisan effort to block a proposal.
State Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria called for a pause on the data center. Source: Instagram/@klaridesditria
State Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria recently also came out against the data center, after continued calls from constituents to speak on the issue.
‘Any project with this many potential drawbacks and consequences must be fully vetted by our local government and transparently communicated to the residents of Beacon Falls before it moves forward,’ she said in a statement, before calling for a pause on new data center projects.
James said that there was ‘a real chorus’ of residents campaigning online.
Oneglia argued that a data center could cut taxes for residents of Beacon Falls by 30 to 40 per cent and protested that a data center would not affect the small-town vibe, adding that the site would see little foot traffic.
‘We’d love to build it because we’ve done fuel cell projects before. We know how to build them, and certainly we’re in the building business,’ he said.
A massive center in Lowell, Massachusetts, has prompted a lawsuit from residents
The data center in Lowell sits behind a residential neighborhood
James rejected the claimed benefits, arguing that any tax advantages would come at the townspeople’s expense.
‘This has always been a small, sleepy, quiet valley town,’ Listro said. ‘The people who live in these towns, they’ve moved there for a reason.
‘We choose to live in Oxford and Beacon Falls and Seymour because they’re the quieter of the small towns in the valley. We didn’t move here to hear a constant humming.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Eversource, The Agency and Governor Ned Lamont’s office for comment.