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- SpaceX has reportedly purchased 418 homes near its AI facilities
- Homeowners face a lawsuit rescinding condition associated with reported purchase offers
- Residents blame gas turbines for persistent noise and sleepless nights
SpaceX is looking to buy 418 homes in Colonial Hills, a Southaven neighborhood near its expanding artificial intelligence operations.
The properties are located near a power station that supplies electricity to the company’s computer facilities in the area.
The homes are near Colossus II, an artificial intelligence computing complex operated by MZX, a subsidiary of SpaceX.
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Home buying linked to an ongoing noise dispute
MZX has informed residents it will require additional property for corporate operations, while Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite says some homes can accommodate incoming employees.
Real estate agents have reportedly contacted homeowners with purchase offers on behalf of the company, under conditions involving litigation.
Reports say the homeowners must agree to withdraw from the relevant lawsuit over gas turbine noise in order to qualify for the purchase of properties.
Residents involved in the process claim that turbine noise from nearby power plants has seriously disturbed their daily life and sleep.
Piano teacher Elizabeth Rose, who lives a few miles away, says the persistent sound has repeatedly disturbed her sleep.
“It sounds like an airplane engine, but it’s continuous, it’s incredibly loud. I’ve been woken up by it at 2 a.m., I’ve been woken up by it at 3 a.m. Sometimes I just have to get away from it because it makes me so mad,” Rose said
Jason Haley, a plaintiff in the class action, also described persistent noise and difficulty sleeping in his home.
“There is a high hum and then another sound like a plane over your house. It was so torturous that I can’t sleep; I just leave the house or turn on some music until I am very exhausted and fall asleep. It drives you crazy. You also lose hope because you are ignored or dismissed. There is no escape,” he said
“There’s a high-pitched hum,” said Jason Haley, a plaintiff who says the disturbance sometimes forces him to leave his house at night.
The complaints relate to Colossus I and II, where residents have also raised allegations of air pollution and turbines operating without necessary permits.
SpaceX has said it intends to remove the unauthorized turbines within a year, as a 1.2-gigawatt power station becomes operational.
SpaceX disputes complaints as residents consider bids
The company denies the allegations and says it has taken measures to reduce disruptions around the facilities.
These steps include lowering power output and installing sound barriers to limit noise reaching surrounding residential properties.
Mayor Darren Musselwhite says municipal monitoring has not registered any noise that exceeds Southaven’s 70-decibel legal threshold.
However, some specialists warn that sustained exposure to sound levels around 50 decibels can still affect human health.
Residents have reacted differently to the development, with some accepting the company’s purchase offer, while others continue to oppose its industrial operations.
Musselwhite rejected suggestions that the purchases would turn Colonial Hills into a neighborhood dominated by one employer.
He says the company intends to provide accommodation for employees while helping residents who consider the nearby industrial development disruptive.
Via Tom’s Hardware
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