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Residents raise water, noise and jobs concerns about proposed AI/data center in Texarkana City
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Texarkana City Council to prioritize public health and local resources over a proposed AI/data center, citing water use, noise, air pollution, and doubts that promised jobs will benefit local workers.
Dozens of residents used the council's public-comment period to challenge plans for a proposed AI/data center, urging elected officials to scrutinize water, noise, pollution and job claims. Melissa Sturgeon, a local resident, told the council: "I'm asking this council to put the people first and say no to this proposed data center because once these facilities are built, we live with the consequences, not the companies."
Other speakers cited national and local reports on data-center impacts. Sturgeon referenced Bloomberg and Consumer Reports claims about water use and rising electricity bills, and warned of health effects from noise and air pollution. Jim Trent urged the council to form a citizen investigative committee to study infrastructure impacts and longer-term risks, saying recent large investments in AI could create a speculative "bubble" and leave the city with an underused 4,000‑acre facility if the market collapses. "That's a bubble and it's going to pop," Trent said.
Several residents, including Robert Clark and W.D. Lacy, said that most construction jobs will be temporary and that the higher long‑term cost for water and electricity will fall on residents. Paige Burkhalter told the council she had gathered 2,433 petition signatures opposing the project and submitted summary pages for the record. Shannon Rose and Sandy Burton emphasized ecological and mental‑health harms if the area’s noise and environment are degraded.
Speakers asked the council to consider stronger review tools — environmental impact studies, zoning and code enforcement, and local oversight — before approving large campus‑style developments. Trent recommended city actions such as investigative committees, zoning reviews and legally binding code provisions to protect local infrastructure should demand or markets change.
Councilmembers did not take formal action on the data-center proposals during the meeting; the remarks entered the public record as part of the open-forum public comment period. Several related planning and zoning items on the agenda were separate matters and will return to council in future sessions, including a postponement of a Ward 4 rezoning to June 8 so the absent council member can participate. The council did not vote on any data-center approvals at this meeting.
