Residents near the Westlake-Keller line said they first heard about a planned North Texas data center only after the proposal became public.
As NBC 5 DFW reported, people living along the edge of the site on the Keller side said the development's size has them worried on several levels.
What's happening?
The proposed Circle T Data Center would add about 3.83 million square feet of commercial development on 87.96 acres near Highway 377 and Westport Parkway. Because the property is on the Westlake-Keller border, some homes would sit directly beside the project area, the station said.
Keller resident Kevin Myers said he can already see the site through a hole in his fence.
"If you look right here, it's basically where that barbed wire fence is," Myers said while pointing NBC 5 to the boundary.
It wasn't just Myers who was taken aback by the new development. Keller Mayor Ross McMullin later wrote on the city's official Facebook page that he and the City Council were "unfortunately surprised by the news as well."
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NBC 5 reported Westlake has said the nearest Keller home is 506 feet from the building line.
Why is this concerning?
Myers laid out the concerns that Keller residents have plainly to the station.
"Our concern is, one, the noise. Two, what health impacts it may have on people in this neighborhood, because this neighborhood's an older crowd, predominantly 50 and up," he said. "And then three … how it's going to negatively affect or impact our property values."
These are certainly legitimate concerns, based on the experience of residents who reside near data centers. Noise is a major problem in many communities that border these facilities.
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Health impacts are another real worry, as they require an extreme amount of computing power that needs to be harnessed. Lastly, considering how widespread data center backlash is, it stands to reason that having one nearby can hurt property values.
When communities shield news of developments from neighboring areas, it only adds to the perception they're trying to pull a fast one on nearby residents, who they know will object.
What's being done?
Westlake says it has already been working with the developer to reduce the project's impact on neighboring homes, according to NBC 5.
"Town staff has been working with the developer to ensure that the site has as little impact as possible on the adjacent Keller residents," a town spokesman wrote in a statement to the station. "The project is meeting all safety standards and will meet the town's ordinance for noise generation."
The town's informational page says the facility would have to stay within local noise limits of 49 to 56 decibels. Westlake also says data centers must meet environmental and safety standards, per NBC 5.
To help reduce visual and sound impacts, the town says a landscaped berm would be installed on Highway 377 with a landscape buffer of at least 75 feet on the southern property.
Residents, meanwhile, are being encouraged by Keller officials to attend meetings to share their concerns directly, the station noted. Myers said these goodwill efforts are too little, too late.
"They didn't share that info or try to work and be good neighbors here in Keller, especially in this neighborhood," Myers said.
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