Controversial data center approved in Westlake zoning board meeting
The short version: Westlake's zoning board green-lit a data center over resident objections about noise, power draw, and water use — another local approval outpacing public scrutiny.
Our Take
Another week, another zoning board rubber-stamping a data center while the neighbors find out the details after the vote's already cast. CBS Texas reports Westlake's board approved this project despite pushback from residents there and in neighboring Keller, who are worried about the same trifecta we hear about in almost every one of these fights: constant mechanical noise, strain on the local grid, and water drawn down for cooling. Credit to CBS Texas for getting cameras in the room and letting residents say their piece on record.
What's notable here isn't the outcome — these approvals almost always go through — it's the pattern. A board with limited technical staff and no independent power or water impact study is asked to weigh a multi-acre industrial load against a handful of public comments, on a timeline set by the developer, not the community. Nobody at that table has to answer for the rate hikes or the water table years down the line. That bill lands on the people who showed up to object and lost.
If you live near a proposed or operating facility, don't wait for the local news crew to show up after the vote. Check our facility map to see what's already been approved near you, and use our take-action resources to find out when the next hearing is and how to actually get on the record before the gavel drops.
This is GridWatch the USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of CBS TEXAS, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.