A Buddhist monastery in north Texas has joined residents in opposing a proposed data center complex in the town of Westlake, raising concerns that noise and other impacts from the development could interfere with religious practice and the quiet environment of the monastery.

The proposed Circle T Data Center Campus would occupy approximately 36 hectares along US Highway 377 near the border between Westlake and the city of Keller. Plans call for four buildings totaling more than 92,000 square meters, along with a private electrical substation and backup generators.

Maechee Sarah Hudson, a Buddhist nun at a monastery near the proposed development, said the monastery provided a setting devoted to contemplation and simple living. “This space offers me a space to reflect on what’s really important in life,” Hudson said. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

Hudson added that members of the monastery were concerned that the size and proximity of the development could alter the environment surrounding their religious community.

“There are a lot of different concerns around having a data center so close to home. One is its proximity, of course, with being the noise pollution and just having a data center in your backyard,” Hudson said. “I think the biggest concern is that we really don’t know what we’re dealing with.” (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

Residents of nearby neighborhoods have also expressed concern about noise, possible health effects, water and electricity use, traffic, and property values.

“Our concern is, one the noise. Two, what health impacts it may have on people in this neighborhood. And three what everyone’s really worried about: how it’s negatively going to impact our property value,” resident Kevin Myers said. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

Westlake officials have maintained that data center development is already permitted on the privately owned property under its existing Planned Development zoning. Town staff said that the proposed project met applicable development standards and in some respects exceeded requirements for setbacks, landscaping, and buffering.

Plans include a 23-meter landscaped buffer, berms between 2.4 and 4.6 meters high, and thousands of native trees and shrubs intended to provide visual screening and reduce sound.

On 4 August, following several hours of public comment, the Westlake Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plan with additional conditions intended to address concerns raised by neighbors. These included further sound barriers around cooling towers, generators, and other mechanical equipment, additional screening, and more trees around the campus.

During the meeting, Hudson raised the possibility that the development could interfere with spiritual practice at the monastery. “We hope this matter can be resolved through cooperation, thoughtful planning, and respect for everyone affected. However, if our religious freedom is substantially burdened despite precautions, we are prepared to seek the protections available under state and federal law,” she said. (Fox4 News)

The commission’s approval does not represent final authorization for the project. Westlake officials said that because data centers were already permitted on the property, commissioners were considering whether the site plan complied with existing regulations rather than whether the land could be used for a data center. The proposal will undergo further consideration by the Westlake Town Council.

The dispute comes amid heightened scrutiny of the rapidly growing data center industry in Texas. On 3 August, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to audit data center projects seeking connections to the state electricity grid before those projects could move forward through the interconnection process. State officials said ERCOT was considering more than 474 gigawatts of proposed new demand, approximately 90 per cent of it associated with data centers.

Hudson said that protecting quiet spaces for reflection had significance beyond the monastery itself. “It’s not something that you can buy or borrow or inherit or download. And we need to place importance on protecting the places that value cultivating that peace from within,” Hudson said. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

See more

Westlake Data Center proposal sparks public backlash at zoning meeting (Fox4 News)
Texas residents fume over proposal to put data center next to a Buddhist monastery (The Independent)
Westlake residents push back against proposed data center near Buddhist monastery (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

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