Collin County town mobilizes early to stop potential data center
Residents in Lucas, Texas, successfully mobilized against a developer's application that included a "technology storage facility" as a potential use, fearing it would lead to a data center. During a planning and zoning meeting, the commission voted unanimously to remove this specific land use, though a decision on the overall commercial project was postponed. The community expressed concerns over energy and water consumption, noise pollution, and the impact on their rural lifestyle.
Residents of Lucas, a semi-rural town in Collin County, Texas, raised concerns at a planning and zoning commission meeting after a developer's application for a new commercial project listed "technology storage facility" as a potential use. Residents, who fear a data center could be built under this designation, turned out in large numbers to voice opposition, citing worries about energy and water consumption, noise pollution, and the preservation of their rural lifestyle.
St. John Properties, the developer behind the "Lucas Tech Park" project, stated that the phrase was included due to two potential tenants requiring physical storage space, not necessarily a data center. However, resident Kate Valent called the inclusion an "undermining of the public trust," emphasizing her family's choice of Lucas for its peaceful atmosphere.
Following public outcry and 20 letters of opposition, the Lucas Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to remove "technology storage facility" from the list of authorized land uses for the project. While this specific concern was addressed, the commission postponed the approval of the overall commercial project to its next meeting. The incident reflects a growing trend of local opposition to data center developments across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with nearby cities like Fort Worth also considering moratoriums on data centers.