A pair of land requests approved Tuesday by the Lubbock City Council sparked an emotional showdown between city leaders and residents who fear the actions could pave the way for future hyperscale AI data center development.
The council voted to annex an 8-acre tract near a railroad corridor in north Lubbock into city limits and rezone another 52-acre tract on the opposite side of the rail line from single-family residential to industrial. Both requests were made by the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, or LEDA.
City officials and LEDA representatives repeatedly said neither property is intended for a data center. Residents who packed the council chambers were unconvinced, arguing the approvals could create the infrastructure needed for future industrial development tied to a hyperscale facility.
The votes came as organizers prepare to submit a petition calling for an 18-month moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers. Petition organizers say they have collected nearly 2,500 signatures and plan to turn them in next week.
If the petition qualifies and the City Council rejects the proposed moratorium, organizers can force the issue onto the November ballot, allowing voters to decide whether the city should temporarily halt new hyperscale data center projects.
For opponents, Tuesday's meeting reinforced concerns that development is moving ahead before residents have a chance to vote.
"You can vote with us today, the people that voted and put you in place, or you can watch us do a recall," community activist Phyllis Gant told council members before the vote.
The comments drew applause from a crowd that filled council chambers and frequently interrupted speakers throughout the meeting.
Residents continue push against data centers
Tuesday's meeting marked the latest chapter in a monthslong debate over the possibility of a hyperscale AI data center in Lubbock.
Residents have appeared at City Council meetings, county commissioner meetings and public forums to raise concerns about water use, electricity demand and the long-term effects of large data center developments.
Earlier this month, hundreds of people filled the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center to speak against data centers during another public meeting. Residents also organized a protest attended by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
Many opponents say those meetings have produced few answers, prompting organizers to launch the petition effort.
Mayor Mark McBrayer recently said the council does not support the proposed moratorium, arguing that "a lot of what they want to happen during that moratorium, we've already been doing."
Questions over the properties
The discussion Tuesday focused largely on whether the two properties approved by the council could eventually support a data center project.
Terry Holeman of Hugo Reed and Associates, the planning firm representing LEDA, said one of the tracts was never intentionally designated for residential development. Instead, he said, the zoning classification resulted from the way the property entered city limits years ago.
Councilwoman Christy Martinez-Garcia, whose district includes much of Lubbock's industrial area, asked directly whether either property would be used for a data center.
LEDA President John Osborne said he does not expect that to happen.
According to Osborne, one property is divided by a railroad line, while the other is accessed by narrow dirt roads. He said those characteristics make the land a better fit for manufacturing than for a data center.
"While technically a data center could go on a property like this, it's not the highest and best use for that property," Osborne said. "A data center could potentially go there, [but] I don't anticipate a data center ever going there primarily because we're trying to put the highest and best use for properties."
After the meeting, Osborne said the annexation request had been submitted before he knew about the petition effort. He also said LEDA is not marketing the land to data center companies.
"We're not trying to market this property to data centers. We're trying to market it to manufacturers that need rail service," Osborne said. "I don't understand all the major concerns being presented because that's not our intention. Our intention is to bring the manufacturer here because that's the highest and best use of it."
Osborne noted that LEDA owns roughly 377 acres surrounding the annexed tract. Bringing the smaller parcel into city limits allows the organization to connect city utilities to the site.
Tensions boil over
The meeting grew increasingly tense as residents challenged council members over the land approvals.
Stephen Sanders, one of the petition organizers, urged council members to reject the requests.
"If you approve this, tomorrow morning, I believe LEDA will take a permit out for a data center," Sanders said.
He also warned council members that residents would "have to recall you" if they approved a data center, drawing cheers and applause from the audience.
As the crowd became louder, Martinez-Garcia asked residents to meet individually with council members rather than assume how each member feels about the issue. She also defended LEDA, saying economic development organizations often negotiate projects that require confidentiality.
"We are very aware of your interests, but we also have to have a balance," Martinez-Garcia said. "So just be understanding of any decisions that are made."
Her comments prompted shouting from the audience, and one attendee responded by cursing at the councilwoman.
Outgoing Councilman Brayden Rose also attempted to reassure residents that the approved properties would not become a data center site.
"We've already come up here and said a data center is not going here," Rose said as audience members talked back.
Separate project comes to light
Hours after the meeting ended, a local television station reported that LEDA had partnered with data center company CORVA on a separate project in East Lubbock.
The proposal, known as "Project Infrared," would bring a 50,000-square-foot inference data center within city limits. Osborne confirmed the project was approved last month but said it has no connection to Tuesday's zoning and annexation requests.
"We purposely had not announced that project coming to Lubbock primarily because it's not a done deal," Osborne said. "They still need to get their interconnect with ERCOT through Lubbock Power and Light, and if that fails to happen then they would not end up coming to that site at all."
Osborne said he understands why residents are concerned about data centers but believes some projects can benefit the community by expanding the tax base without placing excessive demands on local resources.
"While not every data center is a good project for Lubbock, there are projects that are out there that fulfill the needs of those that want additional properties on the tax rolls at significant amounts," Osborne said. "As well as ones that don't use our local resources in a way that would be difficult for our community."
Sanders said Tuesday's votes do not change the petition campaign because it targets future hyperscale data center development rather than the specific land actions approved this week.
"We are still on the right path," Sanders said. "We will be able to stop those big massive hyper-scale projects, and that is a blessing."
