City Council receives document with 1,400 signatures
A grassroots coalition demanding tighter controls on data-center growth delivered a petition with 1,400 signatures Thursday urging the City Council to take action.
If the city does not adopt the recommendations, the coalition wants to see the item on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Members of the Halt Taylor Data Center Coalition oppose the Blueprint Projects Data Center planned for Taylor’s South Side on land they say was originally intended for a park.
The petition was turned over to City Clerk Lucy Aldrich during the citizens’ comment portion of the council meeting.
Critics of the data center say they collected 1,400 signatures from residents concerned about the lack of city regulations governing the industry.
The signature drive was celebrated with a free community dinner at Heritage Park pavilion directly before the council meeting.
“My heart is so happy. This shows Taylor people are coming together, working as a whole community, not half a community. It’s not just the South Side or the North Side,” said Pamela Griffin, one of the founders of the coalition. “This will help us continue the fight because it shows them we’re sticking together. Together means a whole lot.” CITY RESPONSE
City officials said they respect the public’s right to weigh in on municipal issues and issued this response, as reported by Austin’s Fox 7: 'The city of Taylor respects and welcomes the public's participation in their local government. Our residents have the right to express their views on issues before the community, including through speaking before City Council, petitions, and other lawful processes, and we encourage civic engagement from all members of the public. Any materials submitted to the city will be reviewed and handled in accordance with applicable law and city procedures.”
Also according to the statement, “The developer has not advanced the project with the city beyond the Employment Center Plan, which was approved in 2025. To break ground, the developer would still have to secure the city’s approval for platting and building permits. This process has not yet been initiated.'
Neighbors say they are worried about noise, electromagnetic issues, light pollution, air and water contamination, draining the power grid and lowering property values.
Supporters note data centers provide cloud storage, banking transitions, artificial intelligence and many other functions critical to maintain a digital society.
Taylor currently has two data centers planned near residential neighborhoods: KDC Project Comal on CR 401 near FM 973 and the Blueprint Projects Data Center on Southwest Carlos G. Parker Boulevard near East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The Blueprint facility is being built behind the properties owned by Griffin and her family members. Griffin is part of a lawsuit trying to stop Blueprint from building on the land because it had originally been donated for parkland by the previous owner.
A state district judge ruled the project could proceed, but critics have said they are considering further legal remedies.
COALITION GOALS
The petition aims to get a city ordinance passed that coalition members said will protect Taylor residents from some of the reported effects of data centers on people and the environment. If successful, the ordinance would remove data centers from all existing zoning districts and prohibit approval of data center development until the city adopts a dedicated digital infrastructure zoning district.
The proposed zoning district would ideally have regulations protecting Taylor’s water, electric grid and quality of life, according to the group. Volunteers combed Taylor neighborhoods advocating for regulations on datacenter development and collecting petition signatures.
Signing stations were set up in coffee shops, at events, and inside and outside businesses. Social media posts and regular appearances at council meetings helped keep awareness on the issue, organizers said.
Carrie D’Anna, a community organizer and founder of the coalition, told the council the petition represents an opportunity for the elected representatives to “meaningfully” represent their constituents and support the will of the community.
“We’re really, really hoping that our council members look out at the people in the audience and realize that we’re asking them to stand up for the people and not for corporations,” she said.
WHAT’S NEXT
Now that the petition has been submitted, the city clerk must verify that at least 1,000 of the signatures are from currently registered voters living within Taylor citylimits. Then, the petition goes before the council. If members on the dais do not adopt the ordinance as written, Taylor’s city charter directs that the petition will be submitted to Taylor voters at the next uniform election date, which is Nov. 3.
