Westlake City Council approves 1.1M-square-foot data center near Keller border

Westlake's City Council unanimously approved construction of a 1.1 million-square-foot data center near its border with Keller on Thursday, November 12, ending months of debate and a legal battle between the two cities. Some speakers at the meeting accused Westlake leaders of lacking transparency about the project, while officials described the development as part of the cost of growth.

Keller had filed a temporary injunction to halt development, which expired in late September, but the cities announced an agreement on November 5 that allows Keller to enforce noise limits, requires quarterly noise monitoring for the first three years, and includes landscaping, emissions controls, and a contribution to Keller Fire-Rescue.

Keller residents near the Marshall Ridge neighborhood had raised concerns about noise and environmental damage. The approval comes amid statewide debate over data center regulation, with Gov. Greg Abbott pushing for resource audits and Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa calling for a moratorium. Keller says it will work with Hinojosa on statewide discussions.