Taylor pauses data center vote as Samsung-fueled projects draw pushback
Taylor has postponed a vote on 'Project Mustang,' a 665-acre data center development, amid significant community opposition and a push to update the city's zoning code for digital infrastructure. Residents are concerned about the rapid pace of industrial growth and its impact on the small town following Samsung's chipmaking plant announcement, leading to a petition for a pause on data center approvals and a lawsuit against another approved data center project.
The Taylor City Council has postponed a vote on 'Project Mustang,' a controversial 665-acre data center development, following intense community pushback. Residents packed a city planning and zoning commission meeting, urging the city to slow the pace of industrial growth and update its zoning regulations for data centers.
This decision reflects a shifting sentiment in Taylor, Texas, a city that has experienced rapid industrial expansion since Samsung Electronics Co. announced its $17 billion chipmaking complex in 2021. Community activist Carrie D’Anna voiced concerns that Taylor has become a "company town," losing its identity as a small community and questioning the benefits of this growth. Taylor Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Ben White defended the development, citing high-quality jobs and a stable tax base, but acknowledged that some projects, including a $2.5 billion data center approved in March and Blueprint Data Centers' project, have faced delays. Blueprint Data Centers also faces a lawsuit from residents over the land's deed.
Project Mustang, planned by Big Watt Digital LLC and PowerHouse Data Centers, includes a data center campus with an adjacent gas power plant. Developers stated their intent to pursue the project regardless of city annexation. The city's decision to postpone a vote for 90 days aims to allow time to update the zoning code, a move prompted by a petition from over 1,400 residents requesting a pause on data center approvals. Concerns extend beyond data centers to overall city preparedness for development, including housing shortages and uneven distribution of development benefits.