'Make no mistake: Keller will be heard.' City considers legal action over proposed Westlake data center
Keller residents and their City Council are strongly opposing a 1.1-million-square-foot data center proposed in neighboring Westlake, citing concerns over quality of life and infrastructure. The Keller City Council has voted to retain legal counsel to explore options against the project, while Westlake's Town Council is scheduled to vote on the development agreement.
Keller, Texas residents and the City Council are actively opposing a proposed 1.1-million-square-foot data center in neighboring Westlake. The project, proposed by PowerHouse Data Centers, is slated for an 88-acre property off Highway 377, abutting Keller's Marshall Ridge neighborhood, as little as hundreds of feet from residents' backyards.
At a special-called meeting on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, the Keller City Council chambers overflowed with concerned citizens. More than two dozen people, including residents from Keller, Westlake, and Grapevine, expressed worries about the data center's impact on water, electricity, infrastructure, health, noise, and light pollution. Mayor Ross McMullin stated that Keller would not "sit on the sidelines" and vowed to "explore every legal option available" to protect residents, leading to a unanimous council vote to retain legal counsel.
Westlake officials, conversely, view the data center as an "exciting" opportunity to strengthen the town's commercial tax base, potentially generating $5 million in the first 10 years and $7 million annually thereafter. They have asserted that the land use allows this type of development "by right," suggesting the Town Council lacks the authority to deny the plans. Westlake's Town Council is scheduled to meet on Monday to vote on the project's development agreement, with heightened security measures in place due to social media threats.