ALVIN — Alvin city leaders used Thursday night’s city council meeting to address community concerns surrounding a proposed data center project that has sparked widespread discussion among residents in recent weeks.
The meeting drew an unusually large crowd, with nearly 100 people attending and standing-room-only conditions reported inside council chambers.
Alvin Councilman Scott Salter said the turnout reflected the level of concern residents have expressed regarding the possibility of a data center being developed in or near the community.
“There was a lot of concern from residents, and we wanted to address those concerns publicly,” Salter said following the meeting.
While only one resident spoke during the public comment portion specifically about the proposed data center, several city officials addressed the issue, including Councilwoman Meagan DeKeyzer, Councilman Martin Vila, Mayor Gabe Adame, and Salter himself.
Salter said Kaiser emphasized that any future decisions would not be rushed and reassured residents that council members intend to thoroughly review any proposals before taking action.
Salter used his remarks to outline the timeline of events surrounding the proposal and reiterated information previously shared with the public. He noted that city officials have since received communication from the Greater Houston Partnership indicating that the developer is now exploring alternative locations and is no longer actively considering the Alvin area.
Despite that development, city leaders elected to keep the discussion on the agenda.
“We still wanted to express our opposition and be clear about our stance,” Salter said.
The meeting also drew the attendance of State Rep. Jeff Barry, Superintendent Carol Nelson, and several members of the Alvin Police Department.
One of the concerns discussed was the potential impact data centers can have on nearby communities. Salter cited concerns over electricity and water usage, as well as noise generated by large cooling systems used to keep servers operating.
Residents in other parts of Texas have reported hearing a constant hum from cooling fans operating around the clock, according to Salter and Barry.
Data centers have become a growing topic of debate across Texas as technology companies expand infrastructure to support artificial intelligence and cloud computing operations.
While acknowledging the importance of data centers to modern technology, Salter said location matters.
“Data centers are important infrastructure, just like landfills and wastewater treatment plants,” Salter said. “But we don’t put those in the middle of populated areas.”
During the conversation, Salter also addressed rumors circulating online that Alvin already hosts a data center.
According to Salter, the facilities some residents may be referencing are battery energy storage sites, not data centers. One is located behind the city’s Public Works facility, while another is situated along Highway 6 between Alvin and Manvel.
“There is 100 percent no data center in Alvin or anywhere near us in Brazoria County,” Salter said.
Salter credited residents for remaining engaged throughout the process and said transparency has remained a priority.
“This isn’t about political gain,” he said. “It’s about informing the public.”
At this time, no data center project is scheduled for consideration by the Alvin City Council.
Lealer Sims
Stephen Bernardoni
You must be logged in to post a comment.