Real Estate Photographer in Jarrell, TX

JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) ? A developer can now build a data center with land that was rezoned after the city of Jarrell passed agenda items related to the center.

The approved items determined that the 151-acre plot of land would be annexed into the city, and could be designated for the data center by rezoning it for light industrial use and a business park.

This comes after the Jarrell Planning and Zoning Commission in August recommended the approval of the data center on land located next to Jarrell High School, as shown by Williamson County documents.

Jarrell Mayor Patrick Sherek said that although he was at first optimistic at the possibility of the city housing a new data center, his feelings towards the project have grown more mixed over time.

“The development would bring substantial property tax revenue to the city and to the school district,” he said. “When I ran to be mayor, I always wanted to give back to the community. [But] then we had some opposition from some concerned residents, and they have some valid concerns.”

Although the center would bring in significant amounts of tax revenue for the city, Sherek said the chosen location and strain on natural resources have him concerned, a sentiment shared by other Jarrell residents.

He said the data center, if built, would double the city’s annual budget, allowing Jarrell to repair its roadways and attract more businesses to its downtown area.

Jarrell Place Five Alderman Daniel Islas said that while he is not too keen on having construction underway next to where his children go to school, he believes it may be in the city’s best interest to approve the rezoning plan anyway.

Annexing the site, he said, would give Jarrell more input in how the facility operates. If Jarrell chooses not to annex the land, the facility could still be built following the approval of Williamson County. If that were to happen, Jarrell would not see any of the generated tax revenue flow back into the city.

“There’s been a lot of people saying that they don’t want it at all, but unfortunately, as a city council member, you have to just inform them that either we bring them in and have a say or they have a potential of building it anyways and doing it any way that they want,” Islas said.

Jarrell resident John Simpson said he believes the construction would not only add significant noise pollution to the area, but also put more stress on the local electrical grid and water supply.

“We’re already on one day a week watering restrictions, even now. So that’s not going to get better if they’re using water,” Simpson said.

Fellow resident Sandra Gutierrez said one of her main concerns with the project is its location.

She believes placing the facility, which she referred to as a “modern day factory,” may cause issues for students at the neighboring Jarrell High School, which two of her children will one day attend.

“If my kids are going to be at a school for eight hours a day, day in and day out, they’re going to be the ones exposed to all that,” she said.

Gutierrez added the project has been moving at too fast of a pace and believes the developers have not properly consulted members of the community.

KXAN reached out to the developers behind the proposed data center but has not heard back. This story will be updated should they respond.