LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer says he feels good about how last week’s public hearing over data centers went.
In our interview, McBrayer addressed a few key issues raised by residents, one of which is how many gallons of water per day is needed for a data center after the total of 100,000 was proposed.
“Where’d you pick the number 100,000? We had to pick a number because we don’t have a specific proposed data center in front of us,” McBrayer said, “so what we tried to go out there and do is look at what the kind of data centers we would even be interested in entertaining.”
McBrayer acknowledges restrictions would have to be imposed on a potential data center here, and one type of zoning restriction would allow for even more discussion.
“It’s what we call a special use (restriction), so even if they fit all the criteria, they still have to come to zoning and planning and they still have to come to city council for approval,” McBrayer said. “At each of those points, the public can come in and have public hearings and public comment again.”
The mayor also wants to let people know why these conversations have to take place. He understands many concerns from residents, but acknowledges they have to look at it from all angles.
“I don’t think many people on our city council are just prepared to say no to data centers for any reason,” McBrayer said. “We look at them kind of like any business or any industry that might come to Lubbock. They all come with costs, the issue is do they come with benefits?”
There’s also discussion of a potential moratorium. If enough signatures are collected and verified by July 28th, the issue heads to city council. If the council votes against it, it will appear on the November ballot.
It’s something McBrayer believes would hurt what work is already being done to look into these projects.
“I don’t know that our the council would be in favor of the moratorium because as I’ve said, a lot of what they want to happen during that moratorium, we’ve already been doing,” McBrayer said. “If we go for a moratorium, we just stop doing what we’re doing, and I think what we are trying to do at the moment to address the issue is good and positive. I think that’s what most people would want us to be doing.”
The Lubbock data center conversation has been vocal from the very beginning, and doesn’t look to be dying down anytime soon.
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