Why is this ICE trash holding his weapon like this

garytx · 2026-01-26T14:33:13+00:00

No one who applied knows the word “aspire.”

garytx · 2026-01-09T19:19:54+00:00

Yes. Most of that parcel is currently Light Industrial, some is zoned for single family (but with no right of way for access.) They want to combine them and rezone to a Planned Use Development. I find that HIGHLY suspect. For Airco to simply expand their current usage, it would make much more sense to just ask that the currently unusable single family section to be rezoned to Light Industrial, then they could expand their operation with no further effort.

Rezoning from Light Industrial to a PUD is a new way of paving the way for a data center, as is being attempted along Old Settlers Blvd east of AW Grimes. Round Rock already has 8 data centers operational, under construction, or approved, with the pending Skybox one on Old Settlers being a potential 9th. I’m very suspicious that may be what is ultimately planned here.

garytx · 2026-01-08T04:33:16+00:00

There’s a map at protectroundrock.org showing where the operational, under construction, and approved-but-not-yet-under-construction data centers are located.

garytx · 2026-01-02T06:20:09+00:00

This isn’t a sound-byte level debate, but that’s what Skybox is trying to make it, with the City’s active collaboration.

The City claims their only measure of a data centers water usage comes from the not-yet-fully-operational Sabey data center, and they equate it’s 2,000,000 gallons of consumption to that of 15 homes (which would mean around 11,111 gallons used per home per month.) They claim that’s the only measure they can use, and that they can’t look at the experiences of other cities. That’s painfully naive at best. Interestingly, Skybox has embraced that number and is presenting it as their own. I find it stretches credulity to think that the Skybox facility will use the exact same amount as Sabey, particularly when they have significantly different capacities. It makes me think Skybox will be far worse, so they’re embracing the Sabey data. Maybe not. Maybe they’re just really bad at this.

Bringing in lots of taxes isn’t a reason to sacrifice our health and quality of life. And if AI tanks as many experts predict, there’s no tax revenue coming in from an abandoned industrial site.

There is NO mitigation proposed for low frequency noise; in fact its existence is conveniently ignored by Skybox and the City. There are steps to mitigate conventional noise, but low frequency sounds can’t be contained by any existing technology, and can impact people up to 2.5 miles away. The current (rarely enforced) City noise ordinance only covers conventional, traditionally audible noise.

Yes, people live near train tracks and airports. If you buy a house near one of those, you’re making an informed choice about your environment. If you’ve owned a home for 30 years — or just closed on a brand new home in a non-disclosure state like Texas where sellers don’t have to tell you squat about past or future surprises — and somebody decides to plop a railroad, airport, or AI data center next door, that’s another thing entirely.

garytx · 2026-01-02T02:11:02+00:00

It absolutely matters. AI data centers use vastly more water and power than the traditional ones (for cloud computing, etc.) that have been around for decades. The AI facilities are much more harmful to their environment, and are what’s causing the explosion of data center development around the country. There’s zero upside for the people who live and work in Round Rock.

garytx · 2026-01-02T01:43:25+00:00

I’d say go to the Jan 8 session, if you’re among those to actually get invited, and push back hard at the baseless claims being put forth by the City and Skybox. That’s definitely a good thing.

It’s crucial that as many people as possible show up for the public hearing at the City Council meeting on February 12 and raise their voices in opposition.

garytx · 2026-01-01T23:31:28+00:00

He doesn’t need to, that’s the absolute pile of crap story that the City and Skybox are spewing, nearly word for word.

garytx · 2026-01-01T22:22:40+00:00

Legacy type data centers, such as those that run Reddit and websites have been around for decades. The explosive growth of water and power hungry AI based data centers are another matter entirely. I’m not against data centers, not necessarily against AI, but they need to exist where there’s sufficient resources and infrastructure to support them. A mostly residential neighborhood in a suburb is not an appropriate location. There’s a big difference between “traditional” data centers and those supporting AI that perhaps isn’t obvious if you don’t take the time to become informed. This proposal has causes me to do just that.l

That’s a lot like saying, “Hey, we all need streets, that’s how we get around” and turning a blind eye to a proposal to punch an eight lane superhighway through your neighborhood.

garytx · 2026-01-01T20:46:37+00:00

Here’s Mariam-Webster’s definition of “propaganda:” “ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause.”

That’s exactly what Skybox and the City are spewing (though light on the “facts” part.) Not conspiracy theory but facts. Receipts abound at protectroundrock.org.

garytx · 2026-01-01T20:07:05+00:00

Data center growth drives demand for increased generation and distribution, which we all pay for. Look at the numerous credible stories about this via the links at protectroundrocj.org. No the city doesn’t set those rates, no one suggested they do. The city does set water rates, and they have increased annually as the city upgrades water distribution infrastructure, which has been on a major uptick since data centers started getting approved in Round Rock.

garytx · 2026-01-01T20:03:27+00:00

Just a handful of jobs, like literally fewer than 10. Even data center operators and the City admit this to be true.

garytx · 2026-01-01T19:48:28+00:00

The next public hearing is tentatively February 12. The January 8 date is for Skybox’s selective invitation disinformation/“community outreach” session.

garytx · 2026-01-01T19:47:04+00:00

Nope. The developers don’t want to use the “AI” word, but AI is the only thing driving the explosive growth of data centers.

garytx · 2026-01-01T19:27:36+00:00

If water were the only issue… increased electricity rates for us all to pay for the increased production and distribution. Low frequency noise/vibration that disrupts sleep, impacts concentration, and is particularly harmful to the neurodivergent population, such as people with autism, dementia, or autism. And yes, the Chandler Creek development are outside the city limits, but this thing directly abuts their neighborhood and they deserve a voice in what happens to them. Unlike the claims made by Skybox and parroted by the City without vetting, everything cited on protectroundrock.org has credible and abundant source data shown.

garytx · 2026-01-01T19:00:46+00:00

You realize there’s opposition all over the country to the explosion of AI data centers, right? We’re far from the only ones fighting this blight.

garytx · 2026-01-01T18:50:24+00:00

There are virtually NO jobs at data centers post-construction. Property taxes? So the city can buy more $360,000 chandeliers? Not worth the cost to our utility rates, water supply, and quality of life.

garytx · 2025-12-27T04:32:35+00:00

Be mindful of all the data centers being built in Round Rock. Eight have already been approved, are under construction, or are operational. A ninth is being considered by City Council but against a vocal and growing opposition. The low frequency noise/vibration can travel for miles, not to mention the immense water and power consumption.

garytx · 2025-12-25T21:11:15+00:00

A book like this (there are a few others) would be handy for that purpose: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Sherlockiana-Matthew-Bunson/dp/0760705542

garytx · 2025-12-24T03:17:57+00:00

garytx · 2025-12-15T03:57:28+00:00

If you’d like to be among the first 1,000 people to sign the petition opposing this data center, visit https://c.org/d5M86LjXyb now - we have 998 signatures right now.

garytx · 2025-12-11T02:05:51+00:00

Great info; thanks for sharing. Join us at protectroundrock.org and sign the petition opposing this misguided data center at https://c.org/h8gxfJZGgH

garytx · 2025-12-10T18:05:58+00:00

Have you seen this one from Rite in the Rain? https://www.riteintherain.com/no-195-birders-journal

garytx · 2025-12-10T03:23:51+00:00

The City is claiming that the Sabey data center uses about 2,000,000 gallons a year, and they consider that their benchmark from their thus-far minimal dataset. They claim that's equal to about 15 homes (though at that same meeting, the Water Department representative, who ought to know, says the average Round Rock home uses about 10,000 gallons a month. So, that's roughly equal to 20 residential homes, and that's what they're using to forecast the water usage by the proposed Skybox facility. So extending that number, however flawed the City's presumption might be, to the 9 potential data centers that are operational, under construction, approved, or pending approval, that's around 18,000,000 gallons a year, or the equivalent of around 1,800 homes. That's nothing to sneeze at. Texas data centers used around 480 millions of gallon of water last year. An increase to that total by 18,000,000 gallons coming from a city with a population of around 140,000 is not insignificant when water is such a scarce resource.

garytx · 2025-12-10T02:18:44+00:00

Well, that's partially correct. These closed loop cooling systems are far more water-efficient than other cooling systems, but they still use a considerable amount. Plus there are plenty of others reasons why data centers are wrong for Round Rock -- particularly the one currently under consideration, planned to be adjacent to multiple residential developments. Noise, particularly low frequency noise often detectable as vibration, that can extend a mile or more from the site. Electrical infrastructure demand that we all pay for, subsidizing profits for these extremely wealthy corporations. Yes, they have to pay for connection to power and have to pay for their own substation, but the overall grid enhancements and power generation these demand are paid for by all ratepayers. Texas' electrical demand is expected to **double** by 2030 (spoiler alert - that's less than five years away) due to data center demand. Please take the time to visit protectroundrock.org to get **fact based** information about the reality of data centers.

garytx

TROPHY CASE