WESTLAKE, Texas - Westlake has approved construction on a data center near its border with Keller after months of debate and a protracted legal battle.
Westlake Data Center construction approved
What we know:
On Thursday, November 12, Westlake's City Council unanimously approved a measure to allow a 1.1 million-square-foot data center to be built in the city.
The data center complex will be built near Westlake's border with Keller, something that has been at the center of a monthslong debate between the two cities.
Keller residents said they were not given proper notice about the development, which would be near Keller's Marshall Ridge neighborhood.
The City of Keller filed for a temporary injunction to halt any further development. That injunction expired in late September.
Westlake data center proposal sparks concerns from Keller residents
Keller residents who live along the border with Westlake are raising concerns about a proposed data center planned in neighboring Westlake, saying the project would be located just steps from their homes.
On November 5, Keller and Westlake announced they had reached an agreement in their legal battle over the data center.
Keller says the agreement will allow the city to enforce noise limits, and will create quarterly noise monitoring for the first three years of the data center's operations.
The agreement also includes landscaping requirements, emissions controls, and a contribution to Keller Fire-Rescue.
What they're saying:
At Thursday's Westlake City Council meeting, some speakers accused the city's leaders of not being transparent during the process.
Westlake leaders say the data center is part of the cost of growth.
"Yes, residents may bear slightly higher electricity costs, but we're going to keep costs in other ways because of the additional revenue."
Big picture view:
Data centers were a hot political topic during the midterm elections.
Gov. Greg Abbott shifted course after initially welcoming data centers to Texas, pushing to slow development by requiring resource audits before new permits are issued.
Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic challenger who unseated Abbott, has called for an immediate moratorium on data centers until the Texas Legislature can meet.
What's next:
Keller says it will work with Hinojosa on statewide discussions surrounding data center regulation.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a Westlake City Council meeting and previous FOX 4 reporting.