{"id":390758,"date":"2026-07-29T16:23:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/390758\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T16:23:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:23:57","slug":"city-council-rezones-annexes-land-west-of-airport-for-industry-sparking-anger-recall-threats-over-data-center-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/390758\/","title":{"rendered":"City Council rezones, annexes land west of airport for industry, sparking anger, recall threats over data center fears"},"content":{"rendered":"

A City Council vote to zone 7.9 acres west of the airport to industrial use and annex it to the city brought an almost full house to Tuesday\u2019s meeting \u2013\u00a0most\u00a0driven by fear of a data center going in there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stephen Sanders, former mayor candidate,\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0leading a campaign for a data center moratorium, asked people to come to the meeting in a frustrated and animated\u00a0Monday Facebook post.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Extra police officers were at the meeting, citing \u201can increased presence by the public and comments made on social media suggesting a possible level of aggression,\u201d said Kasie Davis, LPD spokesperson Kasie Davis.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we have a presence at every city council meeting, due to the nature of these specific circumstances, \u2026 the decision was made to have additional officers present,\u201d Davis said. \u201cWhile the LPD respects the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right of a citizen to peacefully engage in city government, our department\u2019s goal is to protect life and property at all times.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"LubbockMost of the speakers during two public hearings were against an annexation and rezoning of a property on Lubbock\u2019s northern edge. Credit: Staff photo.<\/p>\n

During the meeting, officials including John Osborne, CEO of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), said a data center is not likely going into the location west of Interstate 27.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

LEDA bought the property this year because it\u2019s close to\u00a0a railroad.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s BNSF\u2019s main rail line. So, while I guess technically a data center could go on a property like this, it\u2019s not the highest and best use for that property. It\u2019s actually a much better use for a rail-served industrial client or possibly a rail-served distribution type client,\u201d Osborne said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Critics were not satisfied.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShame, shame!\u201d multiple people in audience yelled at the council right after the first of two \u201cyes\u201d votes on the property along Drew Street.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About 30 seconds into the chaos, a woman could be heard over everyone else yelling, \u201cEverybody here should vote to take them off. That\u2019s a disgrace! A disgrace!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She continued screaming, \u201cStand up and fight! We are citizens! And they just listened to us and\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0\u2014\u2014- care! Stand up! We\u2019re going to recall you all!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mayor Pro-tem Jennifer Wilson was able to restore order after about a minute. She chaired the meeting as Mayor Mark McBrayer was out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Roughly 150\u00a0people attended Tuesday\u2019s City Council meeting, larger than a usual meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During two public hearings, 21 citizens spoke out against rezoning the\u00a0property\u00a0and\u00a0eight\u00a0spoke out against\u00a0(two in favor\u00a0of)\u00a0annexing the same piece of land.\u00a0\u00a0(Some of the 10 were among the 21 and spoke twice.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some who spoke against the project live in homes bordering the property\u00a0to the west.\u00a0But most\u00a0lived\u00a0in other\u00a0parts\u00a0of town and\u00a0were\u00a0focused\u00a0on\u00a0their opposition\u00a0data centers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

800 block of Drew Street\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

LEDA\u00a0assembled land near the airport for industrial use\u00a0\u2013\u00a0purchasing\u00a0383 acres\u00a0west of Interstate 27\u00a0near Drew Street\u00a0in 2023\u00a0for\u00a0just more than $9 million.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year LEDA\u00a0purchased\u00a0another two\u00a0acres\u00a0in the same general area for $552,000\u00a0and\u00a0another\u00a044.5 acres\u00a0in May for nearly $668,000.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

7.9 acres in the 800 block of Drew Street\u00a0were not\u00a0in the city, which is\u00a0why it came to the Council.\u00a0Annexation and rezoning can be done at the same time\u00a0\u2013\u00a0so,\u00a0two Council\u00a0votes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Osborne said,\u00a0\u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0anticipate\u00a0a data center ever going there, primarily because\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0trying to put the highest and best use on a particular property. And we are in such short supply of rail-served properties.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

No specific company was\u00a0identified\u00a0in the meeting as planning a project in that spot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Protests and responses\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite Osborne saying a data center was\u00a0probably not\u00a0going\u00a0on the site, Sanders said, \u201cIf you approve that, tomorrow morning I believe that LEDA will take a permit out for a data center.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sanders said he and his volunteers have enough signatures \u2013 due by August 3 \u2013 to force Council action.\u00a0 If the Council agrees, then there would be an 18-month moratorium on permits or\u00a0rezoning for\u00a0data centers.\u00a0 If not, the issue would then go to Lubbock voters \u2013\u00a0possibly in\u00a0November or March.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adam Hernandez, a community activist\u00a0and former candidate for City Council, said, \u201cIt\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0matter if\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a data center \u2013\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0matter if\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a concrete batch plant \u2013\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0matter what it is.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0an industrial use.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

City Council Districts 1 and 2 get disproportionately affected by industrial projects \u2013 calling it \u201cyet another slap in the face\u201d for people in North and East Lubbock, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phylis Gant said, \u201cYou can vote with us today, the people that voted and put you in place. Or you can watch us do a recall.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"LubbockMorgan Polson opposed the annexation of 7.9 acres of land along Drew Street west of Interstate 27 during a public hearing. Credit: Staff photo.<\/p>\n

Morgan Polson said she had concerns about the annexation, saying, \u201cNumber one, the severe lack of transparency surrounding this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Christy Martinez Garcia, Councilwoman for District 1, said in business deals, some things are confidential.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the information, \u2026\u00a0it\u2019s very sensitive,\u201d\u00a0she said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally have made lots of efforts to be aware of the projects happening in my district. \u2026 Every single decision is made by seven council people, not one.\u201d Martinez Garcia said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Martinez Garcia voted against the zoning change but in favor of the annexation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brayden Rose, outgoing Councilman for District 4, said,\u00a0there\u2019s more\u00a0power to regulate companies in the city and less power out in the county.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u00a0have city limits and UDCs\u00a0[Uniform Development Codes]\u00a0for.\u00a0I mean, these are important things.\u00a0That\u2019s why we have\u00a0development codes,\u201d\u00a0Rose said of his support for annexation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rose also thought it was unlikely a data center would\u00a0find the property attractive because of the extra cost to be near a rail line.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Anti-data\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tAnti-data center meeting ends after man yells, cusses out mayor, who says he won\u2019t \u2018take that kind of treatment\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJuly 10, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Neugebauer\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tNeugebauer hits brakes on Fermi proxy fight \u2013 future of huge data center project with Texas Tech still to be decided<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJuly 10, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Most\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tMost speakers at Council meeting to discuss data center policies say only policy should be to ban them<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJuly 8, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"With\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tWith many data centers considering Lubbock, mayor wants huge public meeting to discuss this controversial issue<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJune 21, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Fired\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tFired Fermi CEO Toby Neugebauer claims Cody Campbell caused his removal during battle to control huge data center<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJune 18, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Process\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tProcess starts for moratorium on new data centers in Lubbock \u2013 what it would do, who supports it, what critics say<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJune 8, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Water,\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tWater, power, accountability, staying ahead of China and other nations: Lubbock forum does deep dive on data centers<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMay 27, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Fermi\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tFermi fight \u2013 going all-out for control of massive project on Texas Tech property<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMay 20, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Texas\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tTexas Tech, Fermi team up on Project Matador to power artificial intelligence near Pantex plant in Panhandle<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 29, 2025\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Previous\u00a0tension\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a July 9 gathering\u00a0to discuss\u00a0data centers<\/a>, a man got angry and screamed at McBrayer.\u00a0 Two days earlier some of the speakers were angry about the idea of data centers in Lubbock during a meeting hosted by the city.\u00a0 There\u00a0were\u00a0a small group of protesters outside a data center discussion on the Texas Tech campus in late May.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The night before the Council meeting, Sanders posted a video on Facebook<\/a> calling on\u00a0people to show up in force. He said Lubbock residents would die prematurely because of data centers. He blamed a \u201cheartless council\u201d and \u201cheartless mayor.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLubbock is a machine, a\u00a0well-oiled machine that has got to die. It\u2019s got to die,\u201d\u00a0Sanders said in the video.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

His reference to \u201cgot to die\u201d was not explained in his Facebook video.\u00a0LubbockLights.com asked him about it before the\u00a0Council\u00a0meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good old boy system \u2013 it\u2019s been that way since the beginning. It always has been. And until we get\u00a0those kind of people\u00a0out,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0going to have to deal with this\u00a0over and over\u00a0and over\u00a0again,\u201d Sanders said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

LubbockLights.com asked Sanders about his claim Council members are \u201cgonna\u00a0get some money underneath the table.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt hasn\u2019t happened yet, but that could happen,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

LubbockLights.com also asked about his claim data centers would kill people.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hyperscale AI data centers that are going to use backup generators and pump pollution into\u00a0our\u00a0air<\/a> is going to kill people. \u2026 I\u2019m not making anything up.\u201d Sanders said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sanders said he was not aware of any hyperscale data centers coming to Lubbock. But\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0the whole point of his signature petition, he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGive us more time to look at Abilene and to look at what\u2019s going to happen with\u00a0\u2026\u00a0the Matador\u00a0Project\u00a0[in conjunction with Texas Tech near Amarillo],\u00a0and what\u2019s going to happen in Childress,\u201d\u00a0Sanders said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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