The Town of Westlake is one step closer to getting a new data center after the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the proposal following hours of public comment and an executive session.
The vote came after an emotionally charged meeting that drew a packed crowd to Town Hall. Residents arrived early, and by the start of the 5 p.m. meeting, attendees had spilled out of the council chambers. The decision prompted a strong reaction from those in attendance.
The proposed data center would be built along Highway 377 near the Keller city line. The campus would cover about 87 acres and total more than 1 million square feet.
Town leaders have described the project as an important investment that would support economic development.
During the meeting, Jeff Parsons of American Real Estate Partners said the property had been zoned for commercial industrial use years before the town updated its development code to specifically address data centers.
The proposed campus is expected to use about 54 million gallons of water each year, which town leaders said is comparable to existing corporate campuses. Leaders also said the project would comply with local noise ordinances.
Residents remained unconvinced, raising concerns about the project’s impact on their community. Portions of the presentation were met with laughter as neighbors voiced their opposition.
“We wanted to take a nod from that and the history of class A office to really bring a high level of architecture and aesthetic and really be considerate of all our neighbors around us,” Jeff Parsons with American Real Estate Partners said.
“I’m pleading, and I’m asking because you make decisions, and it’s important. No one is against your progress, but please consider your neighbors,” one resident said.
“You know, taking my kids to the local pond Saturday morning is no longer going to be a quiet, special experience in nature,” another neighbor said.
The vote comes as Gov. Greg Abbott has called for an audit of data center projects seeking to connect to the state’s power grid before construction moves forward.
The commission approved the proposal while requesting additional sound walls, more trees and cooling devices as part of the project. Even with those added conditions, tensions remained high after the vote.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
