Twisting Texas Law to Wreck Our Way of Life

An Open Letter to the Lacy Lakeview City Council

To the Lacy Lakeview City Council,

I’m Sean Terrell, a guys who’s called Elm Mott home since August 2015. I live in the Dome house on Tours Rd. My place sits right in McLennan County’s unincorporated ETJ, close to that 520 acres of farmland Infrakey bought up for this massive $10 billion data center deal. That includes up to six data centers and a 1.2-gigawatt onsite gas-fired power plant that’s bigger than anything we’ve got around here. I get my water from Ross, mail from Elm Mott, and not one single thing from y’all in Lacy Lakeview. Can’t vote in your elections, got no say on your council, but your choices are fixin’ to change my whole quality of life, tank my property value, and turn our quiet rural spot into something none of us signed up for.

This Peaceful Countryside is What We Love Out Here

Here are a few shots of the kind of land we’re talking about, the open fields and homesteads that make this part of Texas special:

And then there’s what Infrakey wants to build. Massive industrial complexes like this one, with rows of servers, cooling towers humming nonstop, and a huge power plant right on site.

How SB 2038 is Being Twisted

This whole thing is happening because Infrakey is twisting Senate Bill 2038, a law that was supposed to protect rural landowners like us from overreaching cities, into a tool to bulldoze right through community wishes. SB 2038 was meant to let farmers and homesteads escape city regs when a city wasn’t gonna actually annex and serve them, and give us some control over our own land. But Infrakey? They’re using it to slip out of Waco’s ETJ, get themselves annexed by Lacy Lakeview instead, grab that sweet $50 million a year in tax revenue for the city, and plop this giant industrial monster down in the middle of our farmland and homes. That’s the opposite of what the law was for. It was supposed to protect rural character, not destroy it for big money.

What This Project Really Means

Let’s be real about what this project really means. We’re not talking some little tech shed here. This is the biggest industrial thing McLennan County’s ever seen:

• Up to 6 data centers sprawling across 520 acres
• That huge 1.2-gigawatt gas plant running 24/7
• Up to 16 million gallons of water a day (and nobody’s even talked to Waco about how to get it since the land’s in their water service area)
• Constant noise from cooling fans and the power plant that’ll drown out the crickets and make sleeping impossible
• Years of heavy truck traffic tearing up county roads
• Air pollution from burning all that gas with no real studies done
• Our property values crashing because who wants to live or buy next to this?

People moved out here for the peace, the open sky, the chance to raise kids and grandkids in a real rural Texas setting. Now that’s all on the line.

The December 9th Meeting: Voting Before Listening

Y’all remember that December 9, 2025 meeting? Over 60 of us packed the room, spilling into the halls, ready to speak up. Scenes like this, folks standing up and making their voices heard.

But the council went ahead and voted 6-1 to approve that non-binding MOU with Infrakey before letting a single one of us talk. You voted before hearing us. When we finally got our turn, 12 folks stood up and laid out real worries about water, air, noise, the rushed process, all of it. Mayor Wilson talked about needing money for sewer lines, streets, a new fire engine. I get it, the city’s hurting for cash, but deciding $50 million a year is worth selling out your neighbors who get none of the benefits and all the pain? That ain’t right.

Taxation Without Representation

This is straight-up taxation without representation. Lacy Lakeview gets the windfall, Infrakey gets their mega-project, and us folks in Ross and Elm Mott? We get the noise, the pollution, the traffic, the ruined views, the dropped home values, and zero vote, zero services, zero say. One lady at the meeting flat-out said “You sold us out!” And that’s exactly how it feels.

What Good Governance Looks Like

Before y’all take the next step and actually annex this land, do the right thing. Get real independent studies on air quality from that gas plant, noise that spreads for miles, water sources and if we can even sustain pulling that much without hurting the whole region, traffic wrecking county roads we all pay for. Hold public hearings out here in Ross and Elm Mott where the impacts hit hardest, not just in city hall. Talk to Waco and McLennan County, this is too big for one small town to decide alone. And if it goes forward anyway, make sure there’s some mitigation for us impacted neighbors, maybe help with road fixes, noise barriers, or fair compensation for lost property value.

I’m asking y’all straight: If this thing was going up right next to your own house, with a nearby city grabbing the cash while you deal with the fallout and no voice, would you call that good governance? If the answer’s no, then step up.

The Bigger Picture

This ain’t just about one project. Texas is booming with AI and data centers, cities are chasing that tax money hard, and laws like SB 2038 are getting twisted to skip real planning and community input. If Lacy Lakeview lets this slide, every rural spot in Texas becomes fair game.

What I’m Asking the Council

I’ll be at your January 13, 2026 meeting to say this in person during public comment. In the meantime, I’m asking the council to:

• Delay any annexation votes till full independent studies are done
• Hold hearings out in the affected areas so folks can really be heard
• Coordinate with Waco and the county on this regional mess
• Demand full transparency from Infrakey on water, emissions, operations, and how they’ll fix problems
• Think hard if the revenue’s worth wrecking your neighbors’ lives

Y’all got a chance to be the leaders who put people over profit, who demand real answers before it’s too late. Or you can rush it, cash the check, and leave us rural folks holding the bag.

The whole community’s watching. Don’t let us down.

Respectfully (and fired up),
Sean Terrell
238 W Tours Road
Elm Mott, TX 76640

This is posted as part of our community push at wacodatacenter.com. Come check it out for facts, updates, and ways to fight back.

Take Action Now

If this project worries you too, here’s what you can do right now:

• Show up to the January 13, 2026 council meeting (6:00 PM at 501 E. Craven Ave.)
• Send in written comments for the record
• Reach out to McLennan County Commissioners about the county road and infrastructure hits
• Call your state reps about how SB 2038 is being misused
• Join us at wacodatacenter.com, sign the petition, talk to neighbors

Our voices matter. Let’s use ’em before it’s too late.