Residents raise water and development concerns, urge scrutiny of Project Taurus and data centers

Several residents used the public-comment portion of the meeting to raise development and water-supply concerns tied to Project Taurus and other proposed projects. Ali Smith said developers had damaged historic foundations, removed trees and proposed projects that could use large amounts of water (she cited "maybe 1,500,000 gallons of water a day" as a representative figure) and asked council to consider a moratorium on Project Taurus. Taylor Gray and others warned of broader water shortages and urged adherence to zoning standards.

Speakers emphasized neighborhood character, the effects of industrial uses near residential areas and potential harms to parks and open space. Calls for more data, stronger enforcement of existing standards and citizen involvement in hearings were prominent themes in the public-comment period.