A proposed data center in Westlake is drawing opposition from nearby residents, including members of a Buddhist monastery who say the development could disrupt a place devoted to peace and reflection. The Town of Westlake has announced plans for a data center spanning more than 1 million square f eet, adding to the growing number of North Texas communities considering similar facilities. The proposed site sits along the Keller city line, where residents say they are concerned about potential noise, health impacts and declining property values. Maechee Sarah Hudson, a nun at a Buddhist monastery off U.S. Highway 377 near Westlake, said the campus offers a quiet place for reflection and simple living. “This space offers me a space to reflect on what’s really important in life,” Hudson said. Hudson said she worries the monastery’s daily practices could be disrupted if the project moves forward. “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.” Other nearby residents echoed those concerns. “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. In a statement, the Town of Westlake said the project meets all safety standards and will comply with the town’s noise ordinance. Officials said a landscaped berm will be installed along U.S. Highway 377, along with a minimum 75-foot landscape buffer on the southern property line. The developer also plans to add mature vegetation to help screen the site and provide additional sound dampening. Town officials also said the property is privately owned and governed by a Planned Development District that allows a data center as a land use by right. Hudson said the monastery would be able to both see and hear the facility from its campus. “It would impact our daily way of life for sure,” Hudson said. She said she plans to continue opposing the project alongside other residents. “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. The debate comes as Texas officials take a closer look at the growing number of data center projects statewide. On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to complete an audit of all proposed data center projects seeking to connect to the state’s power grid before construction moves forward. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication. ...read more read less